Airlines Warn of Delays

Jet2 and easyJet are warning passengers to expect longer airport queues now that the European Union’s biometric Entry/Exit System is fully live at the bloc’s external borders. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu, manchestereveningnews.co.uk) The system became fully operational on April 10, 2026, after a phased rollout that began on October 12, 2025 across 29 European countries using the scheme. It replaces manual passport stamps with digital records of entry, exit, and refusal of entry for non-European Union nationals on short stays. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu, travel-europe.europa.eu, consilium.europa.eu) For many first-time travelers under the new system, border officers will collect a facial image, fingerprints, passport details, and the date and place of each crossing. The European Commission says those records are then used to track the 90-days-in-180 rule for short stays and to identify overstayers. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu, travel-europe.europa.eu, jet2.com) The warning is landing at the start of the spring and summer travel rush, when large numbers of British passengers head to Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, and other Schengen destinations. The United Kingdom government told travelers this Easter to follow airline guidance because the new checks can lengthen processing at the border. (gov.uk, gov.uk) British citizens are in scope because they are now treated as non-European Union travelers for Schengen border checks unless they hold residence rights or a relevant visa. The official European Union travel site says the system applies to non-European Union nationals visiting for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. (gov.uk, travel-europe.europa.eu) Jet2 says the system logs entry and exit dates electronically instead of stamping passports, and it advises customers to check destination requirements before flying. EasyJet told passengers before Easter that they could face longer waits at passport control as the final rollout date approached. (jet2.com, manchestereveningnews.co.uk) European officials say the change is meant to speed up checks over time and tighten enforcement by automatically spotting people who stay beyond the legal limit. The Commission said more than 45 million border crossings were registered during the phased launch before full operation began this month. (consilium.europa.eu, home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) Another border change is still ahead: the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, a pre-trip approval for visa-exempt visitors, is now scheduled for the last quarter of 2026. For now, the immediate change for travelers is extra time at passport control, especially on the first trip after April 10. (travel-europe.europa.eu, travel-europe.europa.eu)