EasyJet 'you will not board' warning as passenger shares queue chaos

EasyJet has issued a fresh warning to passengers online, stating: "You will not be able to board and will miss your flight". The carrier provided the clarification in a recent social media response to a traveller seeking advice about their forthcoming journey.

The alert follows EasyJet publishing an "important update" on its website last week, cautioning passengers that lengthy queues are expected due to new border procedures. It stated: "Airports across Europe may experience longer queues at passport control while the new European Entry/Exit System (EES) border checks are being completed."

It added: "This will mean you may need to have your biometrics taken, including your face and fingerprints scanned." From spring 2026, travellers from beyond the EU, including British citizens, will be required to register their fingerprints and have photographs taken.

The new regulation could lead to extended waiting periods, potentially reaching two to three hours at busy airports. One traveller contacted EasyJet after spending an hour in a passport control queue, leaving them in danger of missing their boarding gate, reports the Mirror.

On X, a user called KezOsman said: "EasyJet, we have 20 mins left until our flight from Palermo to London takes off, been in finger print queue for an hour now and moved three steps. They let LOADS of BA people through before us who are leaving 10 mins before our flight, and now we're even more delayed. What will happen?"

In reply, a customer service representative named Thando wrote on April 8: "Hi Kez, thank you for reaching out. Please note that the boarding gate closes a minute before departure. After it closes, you will not be able to board and will miss your flight."

The moment travellers realise they're running behind for their boarding gate, they should notify their airline immediately via the app, email, or telephone. Passengers can also seek assistance from airport staff, as certain airports operate electric buggies or permit those with tight connections or imminent departures to skip to the front of the queue.

Travellers are strongly encouraged to arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare to account for any unforeseen holdups at security or passport control. A spokesperson for ABTA, the association of travel agents and tour operators, says: "We're advising passengers to go straight to passport control as soon as you have gone through check-in and security; that way you get the EES checks out of the way as early as possible.

"We're also advising passengers to follow their transport provider's advice on when to arrive at airports/ports etc. If flying, the usual rule is to arrive at the airport for a flight from Europe at least two hours before, so we'd encourage people to apply that as a minimum, but to also check with their airline and airport."

Travellers are called upon to stay patient while the new system is being introduced. EasyJet suggests:

The European Union's new EES launched on October 12, 2025. It represents a fresh digital border system that has altered requirements for British citizens heading to the Schengen zone. EES checks are being rolled out gradually for non-EU and UK travellers, with complete implementation anticipated by April 2026.

If you're heading to a Schengen nation for a brief visit using a UK passport, you'll need to register your biometric information, including fingerprints and a photograph, when you arrive. You don't need to do anything before reaching the border, and EES registration carries no charge.

A statement on Gov.uk reads: "After it is fully implemented, EES registration will replace the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU, but during the phased implementation, border points will also stamp passports. EES may take each passenger a few extra minutes to complete so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border once the system starts."

The nations within the Schengen zone include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The Republic of Ireland and Cyprus fall outside the Schengen zone, meaning EES doesn't apply when travelling to either destination.