Europe border queues spike

Europe’s new digital border system is slowing arrivals for non-EU travelers, with long airport queues reported days after it became fully operational on April 10. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The Entry/Exit System replaces passport stamps with a database record for short-stay non-EU visitors entering 29 European countries. At first registration, border officers collect passport details, a facial image and fingerprints, then log each entry and exit. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The European Commission set October 12, 2025 for the phased launch, then switched the system to full operation on April 10, 2026 after more than 45 million border crossings were recorded during the rollout. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu, home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) i reported on April 17 that airports in Portugal and Spain were seeing “hours-long” waits after the change, and said some Portuguese airports temporarily suspended re-registration because of the congestion. Forbes reported missed flights in the first days after full launch. (inews.co.uk, forbes.com) The system applies to short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period and is meant to automate checks for overstays and refusals of entry. The European Commission says later trips should move faster because travelers who are already enrolled usually need only a quicker verification. (commission.europa.eu, home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) Airlines and airports are now dealing with two separate pressure points at once: slower border processing on arrival and ordinary flight-operations limits on departure. Those limits surfaced on April 11, when an easyJet flight from London Southend to Malaga asked for volunteers to leave before takeoff. (independent.co.uk) The Independent said flight EJU7008 had been due to depart at 8:40 a.m., and easyJet said the aircraft was above permitted weight for the weather conditions and Southend’s short runway. Five passengers voluntarily disembarked after the captain initially asked for six. (independent.co.uk) easyJet said the passengers were transferred to a later flight to Malaga and received compensation under regulation EU261. The airline said safety was its “highest priority,” and described the removal request as rare. (independent.co.uk) For travelers heading to Europe now, the immediate change is simple: first-time non-EU entries can take longer at the border, even before the usual risks of delays, aircraft limits and missed connections are factored in. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu, inews.co.uk)