British holidaymakers heading home from European destinations this summer are being urged to allow extra time at the airport, as new border procedures continue to cause lengthy delays. The warning comes directly from Yvonne Moynihan, the UK managing director of budget airline Wizz Air, who has advised travelers to arrive three hours before their flight’s departure to avoid missing their planes due to extended queues at passport control.
According to BBC reporting, Moynihan’s advice is a response to the widespread impact of the Entry Exit System (EES), a new EU border control measure requiring non-EU travelers—including Britons post-Brexit—to register biometric data, such as fingerprints, upon arrival in and departure from the Schengen Area. Since its phased rollout began in October 2025, the system has already logged nearly 80 million entries and exits, with 35,000 refusals of entry recorded, according to BBC and The Independent. The European Commission has emphasized that, as of April 10, 2026, the EES is meant to be fully operational at all borders of the Schengen free movement zone, including airports.
For many, the new process has proven to be a headache. Airports across Europe—especially in popular holiday hotspots like Spain, Portugal, and France—have reported queues stretching up to three and a half hours, as highlighted by ACI Europe, the trade body for European airports. Moynihan told The Independent, “The impact of the new checks was fragmented across Europe. While there has been some seamless travel, there had been long queues at usual hotspots such as Spain, Portugal, France.” She recounted her own experience traveling to Mallorca, noting that while she encountered no queues thanks to extra staff and a significant number of EES kiosks, the situation is far from uniform across the continent.
To help travelers cope with the unpredictability, Moynihan has been unequivocal in her guidance: “When you land in the destination airport, there might be queues, so you should bring a portable charger or water.” She added, “Because there is another passport check... that’s where we see that people have, again, experienced longer waiting times than anticipated.” Normally, airlines recommend arriving two hours before a flight, but “in these circumstances, we are advising three hours.” For those with connecting flights, she cautions to allow “a number of hours” between flights to account for possible delays at border control.
According to the Evening Standard, the EES requires passengers to provide fingerprints and other biometric information upon arrival, which is then checked again upon departure. This two-step verification process has proven to be a significant bottleneck, particularly during peak travel periods. A recent survey cited by the Standard found that 59% of UK holidaymakers traveling to Europe in 2026 expect delays linked to the EES, with 56% planning to arrive at airports earlier than usual and 12% intending to arrive at least four hours before departure.
The delays have not gone unnoticed by airport authorities or the European Commission. ACI Europe’s survey of 45 airports in 20 EU states revealed that more airports are now reporting excessive waiting times, even with the “extensive use of partial suspension of EES.” The group expects the situation “to deteriorate further” and “become unmanageable” as passenger volumes increase towards the summer peak. The trade body has called for urgent action to address technical issues such as “instability of the central IT system and national interfaces,” as well as to increase border staffing levels.
In response to mounting pressure, some countries have taken matters into their own hands. Greece has suspended biometric checks for British citizens to prevent summer disruption at its airports, according to The Independent. Similarly, French authorities suspended extra EU border checks over the May bank holiday weekend to ease queues at the Port of Dover, where holidaymakers faced hours-long waits. By late Saturday afternoon, the port reported that traffic was “free flowing” on what was expected to be the peak day of the May half-term getaway weekend.
Olivier Jankovec, director general of the European Region of the Airports Council International, and Ourania Georgoutsakou, managing director of Airlines for Europe, issued a joint statement urging the European Commission and member states to fully or partially suspend EES “where operationally necessary” this summer. “The combination of full registration requirements and reduced operational flexibility is expected to place unprecedented strain on border control operations,” their statement read.
The European Commission, for its part, insists the system is working as intended at “almost all border crossing points.” A spokesperson told The Independent, “With the system operating well, it takes only 70 seconds to register an entry or exit.” However, the Commission acknowledged the concerns and said it has been “engaging constructively with the industry.” Until September, it is allowing biometric registration to be suspended “at specific border crossing points and for a limited amount of time in cases of exceptional circumstances that lead to excessive waiting times.” Portugal, where particularly long waits have been reported, has announced it will add 360 more border officers for airports starting in July 2026 to address the issue.
Despite the disruption, the travel industry remains optimistic about the summer season. Moynihan told BBC News that Wizz Air has seen a trend of late bookings, resulting in “very affordable prices” to stimulate demand. She reassured passengers, “You should feel confident booking,” echoing similar sentiments from other short-haul airline bosses like those at EasyJet and Jet2. While there have been concerns that tensions in the Middle East could spark jet fuel supply issues and possible cancellations, Moynihan insisted that Wizz Air’s suppliers had adapted, no shortages were anticipated, and no cuts to the airline’s schedule were expected. She did note, however, that fares could rise in the future if oil prices remain high, but for now, carriers like Wizz Air are finding ways to save costs in other areas.
As travelers weigh their options and prepare for summer holidays, the reality is clear: the new EES border checks are here to stay, at least for now, and could make travel more stressful for millions of Britons. With authorities scrambling to adapt and airlines doing their best to keep passengers moving, the advice from industry insiders is simple: plan ahead, pack some patience, and don’t forget your portable charger.