Arrive three hours before flight home, airline boss tells UK holidaymakers

Wizz Air’s UK managing director, Yvonne Moynihan, has advised British travelers to arrive three hours early for flights home from Europe due to prolonged border queues caused by the EU’s Entry Exit System (EES). The system, launched in October 2023, requires non-EU travelers to register biometric data upon entry, leading to delays at airports like Spain, Portugal, and France, though Greece has suspended checks for British citizens to avoid summer disruption. The EES has processed nearly 80 million entries and exits since October, with 35,000 entry refusals recorded. While the European Commission claims the system functions well at most borders, ACI Europe’s recent survey of 45 airports found queues stretching up to three and a half hours. The group warns conditions will worsen as summer travel peaks, urging EU member states to address IT instability and staffing shortages. Moynihan, who experienced minimal delays in Mallorca due to extra staff and EES kiosks, acknowledged fragmented implementation across Europe. She recommended travelers bring portable chargers or water and allow extra time between connecting flights. Wizz Air now advises passengers to arrive three hours early, up from the usual two-hour recommendation, due to unpredictable exit checks. Portugal plans to hire 360 additional border officers by July, while France suspended extra EU checks at Dover after hours-long queues. The European Commission insists member states are responsible for proper EES implementation, though Moynihan called for broader suspensions during peak travel periods to prevent chaos. Passengers have already faced disruptions, with EasyJet leaving 100 travelers stranded in border queues last month. The Commission attributes delays partly to non-EES factors, noting biometric registration typically takes under a minute, but airport operators and airlines warn the system’s strain will intensify without further action.