UK travelers advised three-hour arrival amid EU border checks

British holidaymakers are being advised to arrive at European airports three hours before their return flight to the UK, a significant increase from the standard two-hour recommendation, due to lengthy delays caused by new European Union border checks. Yvonne Moynihan, managing director of Wizz Air UK, issued the warning, stating that the new Entry/Exit System (EES) has caused some passengers to miss flights.

The EES, which began a phased rollout last October and was intended to be fully operational by April, replaces passport stamps with a digital registration for travelers from outside the EU. It requires non-EU citizens to provide fingerprints and facial biometrics upon entry and exit from the Schengen Area, a zone of 29 European countries. Officials report that tens of millions of entries and exits have been registered under the new system.

While the European Commission states the system is functioning smoothly at most border points and that a registration takes about a minute when operating well, travel industry representatives report widespread delays. Moynihan described the impact as fragmented across Europe, with some airports experiencing seamless travel but others,...