New EU border checks sees waiting times DOUBLE at major airports

By OLIVIA ALLHUSEN, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 09:11, 11 August 2026 | Updated: 09:12, 11 August 2026 Passengers have faced queues of up to two hours at major European airports this summer following the rollout of the EU's new electronic border system. Peak waiting times at Frankfurt Airport hit 120 minutes in July, double the 60-minute maximum recorded a year earlier. Munich also saw its longest queues almost double, rising from 31 minutes to an hour, while maximum waits at Amsterdam airport climbed from 80 minutes to 120 minutes. The travel industry has repeatedly warned that the new system could cause lengthy delays and bottlenecks as airports struggle to process passengers quickly enough. The figures, from travel analytics group Qsensor, were obtained by the Financial Times. Across Europe, passengers have already faced queues, missed flights and hours of delays since the introduction of the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES). Under the new system, non-EU travellers must have their fingerprints and a facial image recorded when crossing the bloc's external borders. Since its launch on April 10, the system has caused disruption at border controls, with some passengers reportedly left scrambling to make their flights. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said the system had been 'misdesigned' and should be moved online.  Passengers have faced queues of up to two hours at major European airports this summer following the rollout of the EU's new electronic border system. Pictured queues at Athens airport on Monday Tourists visiting Athens have reported facing queues of up to two hours 'Only the Europeans would invent s*** like this,' he told investors last month, adding that the airline had seen significant queues at about 15 airports. The system is designed to strengthen the bloc's border security by tracking arrivals and departures, identifying visa overstayers and helping locate people wanted for crimes. But its rollout has been marred by delays, technical glitches and hardware problems. The Qsensor data provides snapshots of queue times at different points throughout the day, using passenger reports and public information. A Frankfurt airport spokesman said the new border checks had resulted in 'departure delays and further operational disruptions'. The longest delays were recorded during peak periods at the three airports, which are among Europe's busiest aviation hubs. In Munich, the increase was only seen among passengers requiring manual checks, suggesting EES registrations were contributing to the delays. Some airports have temporarily eased the pressure by suspending parts of the checks, including fingerprint collection during busy periods. But that flexibility is due to end in September, prompting eight EU countries and Switzerland to call for an extension. The European Commission said it was discussing the issue with member states but insisted the impact on most non-EU travellers remained limited. It said the average EES registration took 70 seconds and pointed to the system's 'very clear security benefits', with 160million entries and exits recorded since its launch. British Airways boss Sean Doyle said the system had caused 'flashpoints' at some airports but had not significantly affected the airline overall. EasyJet chief Kenton Jarvis urged airports to use the available flexibility and 'use common sense and don't allow people to stand there for three hours'. Fresh disruption was seen at Athens airport on Monday, where tourists faced hours-long waits as the new passport checks fuelled further chaos. Footage captured by a British traveller showed frustrated passengers packed into queues as they waited to clear the airport. The scenes came as Britons were warned they may need to arrive up to four hours before their flights during the peak summer holiday season. One traveller passing through Athens told the Daily Mail: 'I've been here over an hour and only moved about 100 feet. 'It's a nightmare, with people missing flights.' Currently, a notice on the Athens International Airport website says: 'As of 30 March 2026, the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully deployed for all third-country nationals travelling to and from the Schengen Area. 'Passport control procedure might be significantly affected resulting in long waiting times. 'Passengers are kindly advised to arrive at the airport at least two and a half hours prior to their scheduled departure, in order to complete in time: check-in, security screening and passport control, where applicable. 'Important: Late arrival at the departure gate may result in denied boarding.' Reports of lengthy queues at Athens airport have surfaced in recent weeks. A month ago, one Reddit user said: 'We were there in May and it took us around two and a half hours due to the long passport control line… We also had only carry ons.' Also last month, another wrote: 'We were there last week. It was chaos. Go four hours early, we almost missed our flight. Never again.' Earlier this summer, one traveller commented: 'Just returned. The lines in Athens airport - coming and going - were at least two hours long for us.'