Arrive three hours before flight home, airline boss tells UK holidaymakers

UK holidaymakers are being advised to arrive at European airports three hours before their return flight due to lengthy queues caused by new biometric border checks [1]. The Entry Exit System (EES) has registered nearly 80 million entries and exits since October [1]. Yvonne Moynihan, UK boss of Wizz Air, warned that delays at passport control have caused some passengers to miss flights [1]. She advised travellers to bring portable chargers and water, stating, "When you land in the destination airport, there might be queues" [1]. While usual advice is to arrive two hours early, "in these circumstances, we are advising three hours," Moynihan said [1]. The European Commission maintains the system is working well at most border points [1]. Airports Council International (ACI) Europe reported queues of up to three and a half hours at some locations and expects the situation to "deteriorate further" as summer passenger volumes increase [1]. The trade body cited technical issues and insufficient border staffing as contributing factors [1]. In response to the disruption, Greece has suspended biometric checks for British citizens to prevent summer travel chaos [1]. Portugal is deploying 360 additional border officers for airports in July [1]. The European Commission is allowing a temporary suspension of biometric registration at specific points facing "excessive waiting times" until September [1]. Despite the border delays, airline executives, including from EasyJet and Jet2, have urged passengers to "feel confident booking" summer travel [1]. The year 2024 in the UK is noted for a landslide general election victory for the Labour Party under Keir Starmer [3], following a year marked by the coronation of King Charles III in 2023 [4].