Britons travelling home via EU airports ‘should allow three hours’ before flights

Entry-exit system, which replaces passport stamps with digital registration, causing huge delays at border checks

British passengers returning home via European airports should arrive three hours before their flights are due to depart, an airline boss has advised, amid concerns about new security procedures causing large queues.

The EU entry-exit system (EES), which replaces passport stamps with a digital registration, has been gradually been introduced in Europe since October 2025 and became fully operational last month. Some passengers have faced huge delays at border checks, airports have said.