European airport bosses have warned that new EU border checks are significantly increasing waiting times for British nationals arriving in the bloc, in some cases tripling the average.
Speaking to the BBC, Ivan Bassato, chief aviation officer at Rome's Fiumicino airport, explained that wait times for UK nationals to go through the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES) in the Italian capital have gone from 7 minutes to 20 minutes on average.
EES has been gradually introduced since 12th October 2025 and fully operational from 10th April 2026. The EES records in an EU-wide database each entry and exit to the Schengen area of non-EU short-term visitors.
However, travel groups, airports and airlines alike have voiced concern about the system — particularly during peak summer travel.
EES registration is required for all non-EU nationals, but high passenger volumes from the UK to certain EU destinations mean that the system has created particular problems for British travellers.
