Allow Extra Time at EU Airports, Says Airline Chief as New Border Checks Cause Delays

British holidaymakers flying home through European airports should plan to arrive three hours before departure, the boss of Wizz Air has warned, as a new digital border system continues to cause long queues. Yvonne Moynihan told the BBC that the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which replaced passport stamps with biometric checks for non-EU citizens, has led to “longer waiting times than anticipated” at certain airports. While standard advice is to get to the airport two hours early, she recommends adding an extra hour for now.

The EES has been rolling out since October 2025 and became fully operational last month. Airports report that some passengers have faced major hold-ups at border posts. Moynihan noted the impact varies by location: travel has been smooth in some spots, but queues are building at traditional trouble zones like Spain, Portugal, and France. During her own half-term trip to Mallorca, she found plenty of kiosks and no delays. Still, she advises travellers to pack a portable charger and water, and to leave several hours between connecting flights.

ACI Europe, the airports association, says the situation is getting worse. In a survey of 45 airports across 20 EU states, they found queues of up to three and a half hours at peak times. Even airports that previously reported no problems are now seeing backups, despite some partial suspensions of EES checks. Last week, French police temporarily paused the system at the Port of Dover as thousands of holidaymakers baked in long waits. A port spokesperson called the scene “challenging” and welcomed the move to relax checks under an emergency clause. The European Commission, however, points out that EES is only one factor in delays, and says the registration process itself typically takes about a minute.