The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Holidaymakers face long delays at airport security
Britons urged to arrive early as new passport controls cause chaos
UK holidaymakers flying home from Europe this weekend are being urged to arrive at airports at least three hours before their flight because of chaos caused by new passport controls.
Queues of up to four hours have been reported since the introduction of more stringent checks on travellers entering and leaving the Schengen area, which allows passport-free movement across much of the EU.
Airports in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Belgium have been affected.
The situation could worsen this weekend as lobby group Airlines For Europe (A4E) warned it will be one of the busiest of the year, with 10 million people expected to pass through European airports today and tomorrow combined.
Some airports, such as Majorca, are predicted to experience double their usual demand.
British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair have all alerted passengers to the need to turn up at airports earlier than normal.
Ryanair issued an alert which stated: “Customers are advised to expect possible delays at immigration control points across our European network.
“Ryanair advises customers to arrive at least three hours before the scheduled departure time of their flight, to ensure they have sufficient time to arrive at the boarding gate at our recommended 30 minutes prior to their scheduled fight departure time.”
EasyJet told passengers it strongly recommended they allow extra time at airports “to be able to get to the gate on time”.
The security measures were brought in following terror attacks in Paris and Brussels.
They have led to long lines at border controls as the details of passengers from non-Schengen countries – such as the UK – are run through databases to alert authorities if they are known to pose a threat.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said earlier this week that more than a fifth of the airline’s flights were being delayed because of the issue and he is “jumping up and down” in frustration.
He told a central London press conference he could not understand why passengers on outbound flights were being checked, saying: “If people are leaving your country, what the hell is the problem?”
Aviation minister Lord Callanan has said he will urge his counterparts in Portugal, Spain and Italy to “do all they can to reduce queues and allow travellers to get on with their holidays”.