New EU entry checks slow airports
Airlines Jet2 and easyJet warned passengers to expect longer airport queues as the EU rolls out a new Entry/Exit System with biometric registration across 29 countries (manchestereveningnews.co.uk) (travelandtourworld.com). Reports of three‑hour airport delays and a disruption tracker logging 261 cancellations and 1,446 delays across several European countries were cited alongside the change (express.co.uk) (thetraveler.org).
Europe’s new digital border system is slowing some airport arrivals and departures as non-European Union travellers are registered with fingerprints and facial images for the first time. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The Entry/Exit System became fully operational on 10 April 2026 across 29 European countries using the scheme, replacing passport stamps with digital records of entry, exit and refused entry for short-stay non-European Union nationals. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The European Commission said first-time travellers have their passport details, fingerprints and facial image recorded, while later trips should need only a faster verification at the border. (commission.europa.eu) Jet2 told customers the system applies to all British passport holders and other non-European Union nationals entering participating countries, and said airport procedures may vary because each airport is responsible for its own setup. (jet2.com) The system did not appear overnight. The European Union started operations on 12 October 2025 and gave border authorities a six-month phased rollout before the full switch on 10 April 2026. (travel-europe.europa.eu) The policy is designed to track the 90-days-in-180 rule automatically and identify overstays without relying on manual passport stamps, which the Commission said had become easier to forge and harder to check consistently. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) European Union officials said the system covers the Schengen area plus associated countries using the database, and the bloc has framed it as both a border-security tool and a way to speed later crossings after the first registration. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) (commission.europa.eu) Jet2 said travellers should check the latest entry requirements before departure, and the European Union’s travel site said countries introduced the system gradually at different border points during the rollout. (jet2.com) (travel-europe.europa.eu) For passengers, the practical change is simple: the first trip can take longer at passport control, and the next few weeks will show whether airports can turn a security database into a routine part of summer travel. (commission.europa.eu) (jet2.com)
