Travellers warned of six-hour queues at EU airports as biometric border system rolls out

Travellers could face queue times of up to six hours at European airports this summer, as new European Union (EU) border procedures slow passenger processing.

Rafael Schvartzman, Vice-President for Europe at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said the rollout of the EU’s Entry/Exit system (EES) had created a “hard risk” of prolonged waiting times and missed flights as biometric checks were introduced across Schengen border points.

The digital border management system, which applies to all non-EU nationals entering the Schengen Area, requires passengers to provide fingerprints and facial biometrics on first entry or exit.

Delays and missed connections have already been reported at airports in countries including Portugal, Spain, and Italy following the initial rollout of the system in April.

Schvartzman told the IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro that processing times under the new system had increased significantly compared with previous procedures, warning that queues of several hours were possible if capacity and staffing were not sufficient.

He said aviation risked being treated as a “political football”, and called for governments to ensure adequate border staffing, operational readiness of electronic kiosks, and clearer coordination of flight schedules.

Processing times could increase from around 20–25 seconds per passenger under previous systems to approximately 90 seconds under EES, excluding potential technical delays, Schvartzman added. 

He also urged authorities to consider suspending EES checks temporarily if queues became unmanageable.

Travellers were advised to allow additional time at airports during the transition period, with industry guidance suggesting arrivals two to three hours before departure and earlier positioning through airside security where possible.

Wizz Air separately advised passengers to arrive at European airports three hours before departure, warning that post-Brexit border checks were already contributing to longer queues and missed return or connecting flights for some travellers.