British holidaymakers flying home from Europe are being advised to arrive at airports a full three hours before their scheduled departure time due to significant queues caused by new biometric border checks, according to the UK boss of budget airline Wizz Air. Yvonne Moynihan told the BBC that these lengthy delays at passport control in some popular European destinations have already led to passengers missing return and connecting flights.
New EES System Causes Airport Delays
The extended waiting times are attributed to the European Union’s new Entry Exit System (EES), which mandates that travellers from outside the EU register biometric data, including fingerprints, upon entering Schengen Area countries. This information is then verified upon departure. The system, designed to enhance security and track entries and exits, requires an additional passport check when leaving a country.
Since its initial implementation in October, the EES has processed nearly 80 million entries and exits, with approximately 35,000 refusals of entry recorded. The system is intended to be fully operational at all Schengen borders, including airports, from April 10th. However, the implementation has been met with challenges, leading to varying experiences across different countries.
Fragmented Implementation and Airport Concerns
Wizz Air’s UK managing director, Yvonne Moynihan, highlighted that the impact of the EES is not uniform across Europe. While some airports have managed a relatively seamless transition, others, particularly in
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