British travellers heading to Europe this summer are being warned to prepare for significantly longer airport queues after the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) triggered delays at several major travel hubs.
The warning comes from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), whose Vice-President for Europe, Rafael Schvartzman, said passengers could face waiting times of up to six hours at some airports if border authorities fail to manage the additional checks efficiently.
The EES, fully rolled out across participating Schengen countries in April 2026, requires non-EU travellers, including UK citizens, to provide biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images when entering the bloc for the first time.
According to industry officials, the system has already contributed to delays in countries including Portugal, Spain and Italy, raising concerns ahead of the busy summer holiday season.
Why EU airport queues could get longer
Speaking at the IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Schvartzman warned of a “hard risk” of severe disruption if border processing capacity does not improve. He said passengers could face queues lasting three, four, five or even six hours, increasing the risk of missed departures and disrupted connections.
The main challenge is the extra time required to process passengers under the new biometric system. Before EES, border checks typically took between 20 and 25 seconds per traveller. Under the new process, that figure can increase to around 90 seconds, not including technology problems or operational delays.
Schvartzman also said aviation was being treated as a “political football” instead of receiving practical reforms. He called on European governments to ensure border posts are properly staffed, electronic kiosks and gates are working, flight schedules are shared in advance and EES checks are suspended before queues become unmanageable.
More information about the border programme is available through the official European Union guidance on the Entry/Exit System.
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Wizz Air tells passengers to arrive early
Budget airline Wizz Air has also urged British passengers travelling home from Europe to arrive at the airport three hours before departure. The airline said lengthy passport control queues linked to EES and post-Brexit checks have already caused some passengers to miss flights and onward connections.
Passengers travelling to popular destinations such as Spain, Italy and Portugal could experience some of the longest delays during peak holiday periods. The introduction of biometric checks is part of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System for non-EU travellers, which is being implemented across participating Schengen nations.
Travellers are being advised to allow much more time than usual, keep passports and travel documents ready, and get through security and border control as early as possible. Until the system operates more smoothly, arriving two to three hours before departure may be the safest approach for many passengers.
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