Airline boss tells travellers to arrive three hours before flights from France to the UK

British travellers flying from France to the UK this summer are being advised to arrive at airports three hours before departure due to lengthy queues linked to the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES).

The warning comes from Wizz Air UK managing director Yvonne Moynihan, who said some passengers had already missed flights because of delays at border controls.

The EES, which became fully operational across the Schengen area in April, replaces passport stamping for non-EU nationals with a digital system that records biometric data, including fingerprints and facial images.

Ms Moynihan told the BBC that while experiences varied between airports, long waits had been reported at several popular holiday destinations, including France.

"Because there is another passport check, that's where we see that people have experienced longer waiting times than anticipated," she said.

She added that although airlines would normally recommend arriving two hours before departure, "in these circumstances, we are advising three hours".

Airports report growing queues

Airport operators have also raised concerns over the impact of the new system as summer passenger numbers increase.

ACI Europe, which represents airports across the continent, said a survey of 45 airports in 20 EU countries found queues of up to three-and-a-half hours at peak times.

The organisation said more airports were now reporting excessive waiting times despite authorities making extensive use of provisions allowing biometric checks to be temporarily suspended when queues become too long.

"The situation is deteriorating," ACI Europe said, warning that delays could become increasingly difficult to manage during the summer holiday season.

The European Commission, however, said the EES was functioning well at almost all border crossing points and noted that biometric registration itself usually takes around one minute.

Since October 2025, nearly 80 million entries and exits have been recorded through the system, with around 35,000 refusals of entry.

France among reported hotspots

Ms Moynihan described the impact of the checks as "fragmented across Europe".

She said some airports had adapted well, with additional staff and self-service kiosks helping travellers move through controls quickly. However, she identified France, Spain and Portugal among locations where longer queues had been reported.

The airline is also advising passengers with connecting flights to allow extra time between connections in case of delays at border controls.

European authorities have already made temporary adjustments at some busy crossing points. On May 24, French border police suspended certain EES checks at Dover after holiday traffic led to lengthy queues.

The European Commission has authorised member states to suspend biometric registration temporarily at specific border crossings until September where exceptional waiting times occur.

However, airlines and airports warn that the real test for the new system will come during the peak summer travel period.