Chaos at Europe’s airports: Travelers in the UK have been told to arrive three hours early as border checks caused delays

Travelers traveling between the UK and many European destinations are facing delays due to the EU Entry and Exit System (EES), a new border management scheme that requires non-EU travelers to register biometric data, including fingerprints, when entering participating countries.The information is then double-checked when travelers depart, triggering additional passport control checks at airports. Since its launch, nearly 80 million entries and exits have been registered under the system, according to European authorities.

Wizz Air advises passengers to arrive early

Speaking to the BBC, Yvonne Moynihan, chief executive of Wizz Air UK, said some travelers had already missed their return or connecting flights due to unexpectedly long waits at border checkpoints.While passengers are typically advised to arrive at airports about two hours before departure, Moynihan said the airline now recommends arriving at least three hours before flights from Europe to the UK.It also advised travelers with connecting flights to leave several hours between flights to take into account possible delays at passport control.

Spain, Portugal and France are among the major hotspots

According to Moynihan, the impact of the EES has varied across Europe.

Some airports have been able to manage the transition smoothly by providing additional staff and self-service kiosks, while others have experienced significant congestion.Popular holiday destinations in Spain, Portugal and France have emerged as some of the major pressure points, with passengers reporting long waits on arrival and departure.Travelers have been advised to prepare for queues by carrying essentials such as water and mobile phone chargers.

Airports warn of increasing unrest

Airports Council International (ACI Europe), which represents airports across the continent, said a recent study of 45 airports in 20 EU countries found EES-related delays reached three-and-a-half hours in some cases.The organization warned that the situation could worsen as travel demand rises in the summer, although border authorities are increasingly using temporary suspensions of EES checks to ease bottlenecks.ACI Europe has called for improvements to staffing levels at the border and the technical systems that support the deployment process.

Greece eases inspection procedures for British travelers

In an attempt to avoid major disruptions during the peak holiday season, Greece has effectively suspended EES biometric checks for British citizens at its borders.The move comes amid concerns that long queues could affect passenger flow at some of the country’s busiest tourist gateways.

Travelers fear missing flights

Concerns about delays are already affecting travel plans.

A recent survey commissioned by Booking.com found that 59 percent of UK holidaymakers planning trips to Europe this year expect disruptions associated with the Eastern European service.Nearly half said they were concerned about missing flights due to queues at the border, while more than half planned to arrive at airports earlier than usual. About 12 percent said they planned to arrive at airports at least four hours before departure.

The European Union says the system is working largely as intended

The European Commission confirmed that the EES service works effectively at most border crossing points, and noted that biometric registration usually takes about one minute per traveller.Officials also stressed that member states are responsible for ensuring adequate staffing and smooth implementation of the system. Portugal, one of the countries where long wait times were reported, announced plans to deploy an additional 360 border officers at airports from July.

What travelers should know

For passengers traveling between the UK and Europe this summer, airlines and airport authorities advise extra caution:

With summer passenger numbers expected to rise sharply in the coming weeks, aviation industry groups warn that managing EES-related delays will remain a key challenge across Europe’s airports.