New EU border checks cause long delays at airports
The new EU entry-exit system requiring fingerprint and face scans has led to long queues at several European airports, with Ryanair warning of delays and passengers missing flights.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
New EU border checks cause long delays at airports
Travellers from the UK are facing long queues at several European airports because of the new EU Entry-Exit System (EES). The system, which became fully operational in April, requires non-EU nationals, including British passengers, to have their fingerprints and face scanned when entering and leaving the Schengen area. The checks are causing delays so severe that some people are missing their flights home or connecting flights.
Ryanair has identified seven airports where the problems are particularly bad: Tenerife South, Palma, Alicante, Malaga (all in Spain), Milan in Italy, Krakow in Poland, and Paris-Bouvet in France. Other airports, such as Rome and Lisbon, have also been repeatedly reported as having long queues. The Port of Dover has issued a similar warning, with its boss predicting congestion and delays over the summer if the system is not made more flexible.
Airlines and airports are calling on the European Commission to allow more flexibility to ease the system during the summer peak, when passenger numbers rise sharply. The travel journalist Rashmin Irani, who went through the new checks at Bari airport in Italy, said the initial process did not work and she had to be taken to an officer to get fingerprints done. However, she noted that on subsequent trips to Italy the process was fine once the initial registration was complete.
Advice for travellers includes allowing plenty of time, especially for connecting flights, and checking whether the destination country offers a pre-registration app. Portugal and Sweden have apps that let passengers scan their passport and take a photo up to 72 hours before travel, which can speed things up. But the app is not accepted everywhere, so travellers should check the official tourism website of the country they are visiting. Some experts suggest considering a domestic UK holiday if the delays become too much of a risk.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One |
|---|---|---|
| The new EU border system, the Entry-Exit System (EES), requires fingerprints and a photo from non-EU nationals including British travellers. | ||
| Portugal and Sweden offer an app where travellers can pre-register their details up to 72 hours before travel to speed up border checks. | · | |
| Ryanair identified seven popular European airports where UK passengers are experiencing long delays due to new EU border checks. | · | |
| Some airports have reported five-hour waits for the new EU border checks, causing passengers to miss connecting flights or flights home. | · | |
| The Port of Dover's boss warned of congestion and delays over the summer if the new border system is not eased. | · | |
| Travellers may miss connecting flights if they do not allow enough time for the new border checks, especially at big airports. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The BBC focused on the official warning from Ryanair listing seven specific airports, and also highlighted the Port of Dover's similar warning. The tone was factual and reported the call from airports and airlines for the European Commission to allow more flexibility. It did not include personal experience or practical advice for travellers.
- “Ryanair have today come out with this list of airports that it thinks are struggling.”
- “We are now hearing airports and airlines increasingly call on the European Commission to do something to allow more flexibility to ease this system over the summer peak.”
- “The Port of Dover's boss has issued a similar warning today, warning of lots of congestion and delays over the summer if something isn't done to ease the impact of this new system.”
5 News took a more consumer-focused approach, featuring an interview with travel journalist Rashmin Irani who shared her personal experience of the new checks. The tone was conversational and practical, offering advice on apps, timing, and even suggesting a UK holiday as an alternative. It highlighted the risk of missing connecting flights and the confusion among staff and passengers.
- “I was actually very nervous because you'd think the whole fingerprint system but uh initially it did not work so and uh what happened was then they took me through saw an officer got the fingerprints done.”
- “And hearing reports of like five-hour waits which as anyone knows who's ever been to an airport that can a connecting flight or a flight home that can cause real problems.”
- “What i would say is check the destination where you're going to because some like portugal and sweden they you can use an app where you can pre-register your details so it sort of helps with some sort of you know especially on the technology side.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.