British tourists are experiencing significant travel disruptions as new European Union passport checks create hours-long queues at airports across the continent. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES), introduced on April 10, requires non-EU travelers to provide fingerprints and facial images at border control, leading to widespread delays and missed flights, particularly for Britons heading on summer holidays.
Social media footage depicts lengthy lines at popular European airports including Rome, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, Faro, and Brussels. Some experts are advising British travelers to arrive at airports up to four hours before their flights, especially for the journey home, where exit checks under the new system add another layer of processing.
"The greater risk is on the flight home, when British passengers must pass through the new exit checks at the European airport before reaching their gate," said Anton Radchenko, aviation expert and founder at AirAdvisor. He noted that at airports with reported queues, arriving three to four hours early might be prudent. Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, echoed concerns that coinciding flight arrivals at airports already experiencing bottlenecks will exacerbate delays.
However, not all travel industry professionals agree with the extended arrival times. Paul Charles, founder and CEO of The PC Agency, described the four-hour suggestion as "madness," pointing out that airline check-in desks may not be open that early and that airports could face overcrowding. He advocated for more efficient processing to maintain standard two-hour check-in times.
Cristian Sternativo, a border officer at Milan Malpensa Airport, suggested that British passengers visiting Milan should arrive at least three to four hours early for international flights during peak months. Conversely, Helena Sheizon, immigration director at Kadmos Immigration, suggested that a blanket four-hour rule might be an overcorrection, with waiting times likely to vary. She advised travelers to check specific airline and airport guidance and familiarize themselves with the new requirements, as biometric registration inherently takes longer than a simple passport stamp.
At Rome Fiumicino Airport, the time taken for UK nationals to clear passport control has reportedly tripled, rising from seven minutes to 20 minutes, according to the airport's chief aviation officer, Ivan Bassato. Passengers have shared experiences of two-hour queues in Rome, and at Faro Airport in Portugal, Superintendent Pedro Oliveira stated that queues that previously took 10 minutes can now exceed 30 minutes.
Ryanair has warned millions of UK families traveling to Europe this summer to prepare for extended passport queues, identifying hotspots like Lisbon, Tenerife South, Madrid, and Malaga as areas experiencing significant delays. The airline cited slow processing times and inadequate border staffing and infrastructure at many airports as contributing factors to the delays, particularly during peak passenger volumes. An open letter from Airports Council International Europe indicated that waiting times at border control have increased significantly since the full rollout of EES in April, reaching up to five hours during peak traffic periods and causing operational disruptions including flight delays and missed connections.
The European Commission has stated that the impact of the new system has been "limited" in most EU airports, but travel bodies report otherwise. The new system has led to instances where passengers have missed flights, including a situation where an easyJet flight from Milan Linate to Manchester departed with some passengers left behind due to three-hour queues. Similarly, a Ryanair flight from Milan Bergamo to Manchester also departed without a number of passengers who were reportedly stranded after lengthy passport control delays.
Experts suggest that as the system becomes more established, queues may become more predictable, but inconsistencies are likely throughout the summer as airports, border authorities, and travelers adjust to the new process. Passengers are advised to stay informed about specific airport and airline recommendations and to allow ample time for processing.