Ryanair has urged passengers to get to the airport early and have their travel documents ready, as the EU’s new digital border system continues to cause long queues for British travellers heading on holiday.
The warning is tied to the rollout of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which has been fully operational at external Schengen borders since 10 April 2026. The system replaces manual passport stamps with biometric registration — collecting facial images and fingerprints from non-EU short-stay visitors — and the additional processing has led to longer waits at some major airports during busy periods.
Ryanair’s advice to passengers is straightforward: arrive earlier than the old standard, make sure your passport and travel documents are ready, follow the EES signage at the airport, and check what to expect at your specific departure point, as systems and peak-time pressures vary from one airport to another. Many experts now suggest allowing three to four hours for international flights to absorb the unpredictable biometric queues.
The disruption is not just theoretical. In late May, more than 150 passengers missed a Ryanair flight from Toulouse to London Stansted after long border control queues, with the airline pointing to passport control delays rather than its own operations. The EES also underpins the upcoming European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), due later in 2026, so the pressure on borders is unlikely to ease overnight.
For airport drivers, it’s worth factoring these delays into pick-ups. Returning passengers may be held up far longer than they expect at passport control on the way back, so building in a bit of slack — and keeping an eye on arrivals boards rather than scheduled landing times — can save a lot of waiting around.
If you’re planning runs around the airports, the UK Airport Guide on DriverMatty.com is a handy reference for terminals, drop-off zones and the practical detail that matters on the day.
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