Border Delays Explained
Europe's New Biometric Border System Causes Delays, Impacts Flights: Passenger Rights Explained
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Europe's new biometric border system has caused hours-long queues at major airports — and some travelers are missing their flights because of it. The Entry/Exit System, or EES, replaces the old passport stamp with fingerprint and facial scans for all non-EU visitors. At its worst, waits have stretched to four hours at hubs like Lisbon and Paris Charles de Gaulle, according to The Independent.
The chaos hit a peak on April 13, 2026. At Milan's Linate Airport, 122 out of 156 passengers missed an easyJet flight to Manchester after three-hour passport queues. The plane left with just 34 people on board, according to Travel Weekly.
How the New EES System Created Airport Bottlenecks
The EES launched gradually from October 2025 and became fully mandatory on April 10, 2026. Every non-EU traveler now must register four fingerprints and a facial scan on their first entry. The EU said the process takes just over one minute on average. But Business Travel News Europe reported that real-world first-time registrations at busy checkpoints average closer to three minutes per person — long enough to create massive backlogs when hundreds of passengers arrive at once.
Airlines have already updated their advice. Wizz Air and Ryanair now tell passengers to arrive at least three hours before EU departures, according to The Portugal News. Ryanair's Chief Operations Officer Neal McMahon called the rollout "a half-baked IT system" imposed "in the middle of the busiest travel season."
If You Miss Your Flight, Here Is What Airlines Owe You
If a border queue makes you miss your flight, the airline must rebook you on the next available service at no extra cost. That duty of care applies even when the airline is not at fault for the delay. Air passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs says travelers should present a formal written demand to the airline at the airport, according to Vancouver Sun.
However, getting the larger cash payout — between €250 and €600 under EU Regulation 261/2004 — is much harder. Portugal's civil aviation authority ANAC has ruled that border delays are "beyond the airline's control," which shields carriers from mandatory compensation. Most legal experts agree that EES queues likely count as "extraordinary circumstances" that let airlines off the hook for cash payouts, according to Calgary Herald.
Fighting Back: Small Claims Court and National Bodies
Lukacs argues airlines cannot simply point at the government and walk away. If an airline refuses to rebook you or cover meals and hotel costs, he recommends filing a complaint with the National Enforcement Body of the country where the disruption happened. You can also sue the airline in small claims court, according to Edmonton Sun.
The "Linate Incident" — where 122 passengers were left behind on a single flight — is expected to produce test cases in small claims courts across Europe. Legal analysts say these cases could redefine whether a government-run queue qualifies as an "extraordinary circumstance" under EU law, according to Toronto Sun.
Greece Opts Out While Portugal and Italy Feel the Pressure
Not every country is playing by the same rules. Greece suspended EES biometric checks for British tourists on May 26, 2026, to avoid summer bottlenecks. The move triggered a surge in bookings to Greek destinations, according to AirHelp. Countries that ease the rules are gaining a real tourism advantage over rivals.
Meanwhile, the EU Commission insists the system is working. An official spokesperson said "challenges faced in Portugal are not related to any operational problems with the EES," citing the one-minute average processing time. Industry groups fire back that average times hide the reality of peak arrival waves, where hundreds of people land simultaneously. The EU has registered 66 million entries and exits since launch and says the system has flagged 800 security threats — but for stranded passengers, those numbers offer little comfort, according to LF Press.
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