Jet2 and TUI updates

Jet2 and TUI are warning passengers to allow extra time at airports after the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System triggered long border queues for UK holidaymakers. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) (express.co.uk) (msn.com) The Entry/Exit System, or EES, became fully operational across the Schengen area on April 10, 2026, replacing passport stamps with digital records for non-European Union travellers on short stays. The system records a traveller’s document details, facial image and fingerprints at the border. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) (consilium.europa.eu) Jet2 said EES registration should take about one to two minutes per person, but told customers it could still mean longer waits at border control and said it was “doing everything we can” to reduce disruption. Jet2’s own EES guidance says the change affects UK and other non-EU passport holders travelling to destinations including Spain and Greece. (express.co.uk) (jet2.com) TUI has also updated customers as queues built up at airports after the full rollout, joining other airlines in telling travellers to check guidance before flying and arrive with more time to clear passport control. Reports published this week said the disruption was affecting both European and UK airports handling Schengen traffic. (msn.com) (gov.uk) The change matters most for British travellers because the United Kingdom is outside both the European Union and the Schengen area, so most UK passport holders now go through the new digital registration process on short visits. The UK government updated its EES guidance on April 10, 2026, and says the system changes requirements for British citizens travelling to the Schengen area. (gov.uk) (eeas.europa.eu) European Union officials said more than 45 million border crossings were registered during the earlier phased rollout before full operation began. Brussels has presented EES as part of a broader “smart borders” system designed to tighten external border checks and replace manual stamping. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu 1) (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu 2) Airlines and travel industry groups have said the launch has also produced bottlenecks, with reports of passengers missing flights and some airports temporarily suspending biometric enrolment in parts of the process. Euronews reported queues of up to three hours after launch, while Biometric Update said some sites paused biometric capture as lines grew. (euronews.com) (biometricupdate.com) For passengers flying now, the practical advice from carriers and officials is the same: check the latest border guidance before leaving for the airport, expect first-time registration to add time, and do not rely on old passport-stamp routines. (jet2holidays.com) (gov.uk)