Overview
- Airports across Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and other Schengen countries report two to three hour border queues following April 10's full rollout of the Entry/Exit System.
- At Milan Linate, an easyJet flight to Manchester departed after long exit checks with only a fraction of booked passengers, leaving roughly 100 to 120 people to rebook at their own expense.
- Airlines and airports issued arrive‑early notices, with easyJet warning of longer waits in Lisbon and Faro Airport urging extra time for all non‑Schengen departures.
- The new system replaces passport stamping by taking fingerprints and a facial photo from non‑EU visitors on their first trip, which officials say takes about 70 seconds but airports report can run several minutes.
- Airport and airline groups, including ACI Europe and Airlines for Europe, urge more border officers and permission to stand down biometric checks during peak periods to prevent summer‑scale disruption.