Brits face waits of up to three hours travelling to Europe
Summary
- Q: How long are the queues at European airports right now?
- A: Travellers are facing waits of up to three hours at Schengen border controls. On the first full day of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (10 April 2026), many passengers experienced severe delays, with some flights departing without dozens of passengers who were still stuck in queues.
- Q: Which destinations and travellers are most affected?
- A: British holidaymakers and business travellers heading to popular spots in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, France and other Schengen countries are hit hardest. The biometric registration process (fingerprints and facial scans) applies to all non-EU nationals entering or exiting the Schengen Area, creating bottlenecks especially during busy periods like Easter and the upcoming summer season.
- Q: What should UK travellers do to avoid missing their flights?
- A: Arrive at the airport significantly earlier than usual, up to four hours in advance for flights to Europe is now being recommended. Monitor real-time queue updates from airports and airlines, and expect potential disruptions throughout the peak travel season unless authorities introduce more flexibility to suspend the system during high-traffic times.
Article
British holidaymakers and business travellers heading to popular European destinations are encountering significant delays at Schengen Area airports as the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) enters full operation, with queues stretching up to three hours during peak periods.
The disruptions have led to missed flights, operational chaos for airlines, and fresh calls from airport and airline groups for greater flexibility in how the system is applied.
The Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) is designed to replace manual passport stamping for non-EU nationals with a digital register of biometric data, including fingerprints and facial scans, to better track entries, exits, and overstays within the 90-days-in-180-days rule.
A phased rollout began in October 2025, but as of 10 April, full mandatory registration applies across the 29 Schengen countries, and authorities lost the option for complete suspension of the system.
According to a joint statement from Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE) and Airlines for Europe (A4E), the first day of full operations was “marked by passenger disruptions, delays and missed flights,” despite extensive use of partial suspensions that allow border staff to skip biometric capture in some cases.
Passengers faced waiting times of two to three hours at airport border controls during busy periods. In one reported incident, a flight bound for the UK departed missing 51 passengers. In another case, a flight had zero passengers at the gate closing time; 90 minutes later, just 12 had made it through.
These issues are hitting Brits particularly hard, as the UK is outside the Schengen Area and its citizens must go through the new checks both on entry to Europe and when exiting.
Popular holiday spots in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and other destinations are expected to see the heaviest impact into the summer peak.
The European Commission has stated that registering a traveller takes on average only 70 seconds when the EES is operating at full capacity.
However, industry leaders argue that real-world conditions, including high passenger volumes, technical teething problems, and limited infrastructure at some airports, are creating bottlenecks far beyond that benchmark.
“While we will continue to closely monitor developments in the coming days, it is already evident that greater flexibility is immediately needed. Border control authorities must be allowed to fully suspend the EES when waiting times become excessive. This is essential not only in the coming weeks, but throughout the peak summer travel season,” said Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE, and Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of A4E in a joint statement.
“Our support for the EES and its objectives is unwavering. However, strengthening border management must not come at the expense of operational efficiency or the passenger experience. Safeguarding Europe’s reputation as an accessible and well-functioning tourist and business destination is at stake, particularly as air travel is already facing significant disruption due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East.”
Travel industry warnings ahead of the full rollout had already advised passengers to arrive at airports up to four hours early for flights to southern Europe. Reports from early partial implementation phases included three-hour queues at airports such as Lanzarote, with similar scenes noted in places like Brussels, Lisbon, Prague, Milan, and others.
A4E airlines carried more than 771 million passengers in 2024, serving nearly 2,800 destinations, underscoring the scale of potential disruption if issues are not addressed quickly.
The aviation groups have repeatedly urged the European Commission and EU Member States to extend operational flexibility, including the ability to fully or partially suspend EES during peak periods, through the entire 2026 summer season. Without such measures, they warn, waits could worsen significantly as holiday traffic surges.
For British travellers planning trips this year, experts recommend building in substantial extra time at both departure from the UK aand especially on return from Europe.
Checking with individual airlines and airports for real-time advice is also advised, as some have introduced contingency measures or additional staffing.
The EES rollout forms part of a broader EU border modernisation effort, which will eventually include the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) later in 2026.
While the goals of improved security and automated tracking are widely supported, the immediate operational reality has left many questioning whether airports and border infrastructure were adequately prepared for the switch.
