Europes new border system forces airlines to demand three-hour airport arrivals
Passengers face severe delays as Europe’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) disrupts flight arrivals across the continent, with airlines now urging travellers to arrive at airports up to three hours early.
Budget carriers Wizz Air and Jet2 lead warnings to passengers, advising them to factor in extended wait times for post-Brexit border checks. Wizz Air CEO Yvonne Moynihan tells British travellers to bring water, phone chargers, and extra time for connections, citing "chaos" at EU airports as the EES rolls out . The system, which requires fingerprint and facial scans for non-EU visitors, has already caused confusion for US travellers, with reports of snaking queues at major hubs like Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol .
Portugal has become the first EU member to temporarily suspend biometric checks under the EES, notifying Brussels of its decision amid technical and logistical challenges . The move follows a Jet2 passenger’s ordeal in Greece, where a British father was barred from boarding after 39 years in the UK due to an obscure passport rule—highlighting the system’s broader impact on intra-EU travel .
Meanwhile, United Airlines faces operational turbulence after two separate incidents in 24 hours. A Boeing 767-424 en route to Palma de Mallorca diverted back to New York after a passenger allegedly interfered with flight systems via Bluetooth, triggering emergency code 7700 . Hours earlier, another United flight diverted to Wisconsin following multiple attempts by passengers to breach the cockpit . The airline has not commented on whether the incidents are linked.
The EES, designed to streamline border controls, has instead created bottlenecks, with airlines scrambling to adjust schedules. Industry analysts warn that delays could persist through the summer peak, as airports and carriers adapt to the new requirements. For now, travellers are advised to treat arrival times as a moving target—with three hours as the new baseline.
Europes new border system forces airlines to demand three-hour airport arrivals
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