Travelers flying through Europe this summer are being urged to clear passport control before stopping for food, shopping or airport lounges as delays tied to the European Union’s Entry/Exit System continue to disrupt passengers.
Global Work & Travel said holidaymakers should treat passport control as their first priority after check-in, particularly at airports with biometric border checks. The warning follows reports of travelers missing flights due to long queues at European border controls since the system was fully implemented in April.
One widely reported incident involved an easyJet flight from Milan to Manchester that departed with only 34 passengers after more than 120 travelers were unable to clear passport control in time. Some passengers reported waiting up to three hours despite arriving well before departure.
Travel disruption has also been reported at airports in Lisbon, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Faro. Experts warned delays could intensify during the summer travel season as passenger numbers rise across popular destinations including Spain, Italy, Portugal, France and Greece.
Under EES, non-EU travelers, including UK passport holders, must have biometric information recorded when entering or leaving the Schengen Area. The process includes passport verification, fingerprints and facial recognition checks.
Global Work & Travel co-founder Jürgen Himmelmann said many travelers still follow the old airport routine of checking in, then spending time at restaurants, shops or lounges before heading toward the gate. This summer, he warned, that could be risky because EES-related queues can form quickly and move slowly.
The company recommends arriving earlier than usual, especially during school holidays and weekends, and going directly to security and passport control after check-in. Travelers are also urged to save shopping and dining until after border checks, allow extra time when traveling with children, monitor airport updates, avoid tight connections and check whether their airport offers pre-registration for biometric processing.
Himmelmann said the travelers least likely to be affected are those who treat border control as the main job, rather than the last stop before boarding.
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