EasyJet warns about passport queues
EasyJet has warned that passengers stuck in long passport‑control queues risk missing their flights, and one traveler reported being stuck about an hour in a queue ( ). The airline’s message is blunt: if you get delayed too long at passport control you may not be allowed to board, so arrive extra‑early for international departures ( ).
EasyJet is warning passengers that an hour in a passport-control line can now be enough to cost you your flight, because border delays do not move an airline’s gate-closing deadline. One traveler said they had only 20 minutes left before departure after waiting an hour in a fingerprint queue at Palermo Airport. (express.co.uk) The trigger is Europe’s new Entry/Exit System, which replaced passport stamping with a digital record for many non-European Union travelers. The system collects passport details, fingerprints, and a facial image when eligible travelers cross the Schengen border. (gov.uk) That system started on October 12, 2025, and European authorities said it would be phased in over six months. The European Commission said full implementation arrives on April 10, 2026. (europa.eu) For British passengers flying to or from much of continental Europe, that means a border check can now include a camera and fingerprint scan instead of a quick stamp. The European Commission says the first registration is the slow part, and later crossings are meant to be faster verifications. (europa.eu) Airports and airlines have already been complaining that the new system is creating bottlenecks. In February 2026, Airports Council International Europe, Airlines for Europe, and the International Air Transport Association said the Entry/Exit System was still causing significant passenger delays. (iata.org) That is why EasyJet’s warning sounds harsher than a normal “arrive early” reminder. If you are still trapped before passport control when boarding closes, the airline treats that the same as any other late arrival: you missed the cutoff. (express.co.uk) The timing matters because the busy Easter travel period is colliding with the last stage of the rollout. The United Kingdom government told British travelers in late March to expect the new checks this Easter and to follow their airline or travel operator’s guidance. (gov.uk) This is not every airport line getting longer for the same reason. The extra delay is concentrated at borders where non-European Union travelers must be registered into the new system, especially on a first trip after rollout. (travel-europe.europa.eu) So the practical change is simple but expensive if you get it wrong: international airport time now has a new step in it. A queue that used to be a nuisance can now eat the exact minutes between “through security” and “gate closed.” (gov.uk)
