The European airports where Brits are facing hours-long queues - as EU border check changes hit summer holiday getaway

Brits heading for their summer holidays are facing increasingly lengthy airport delays at a series of Europe's top tourism hot-spots - with experts pointing to some of the worst offending terminals.In recent days, huge queues have been seen spilling out into car parks with passengers caught up in mayhem at major airports in Italy, Portugal, Greece and Spain.The introduction of the European Union's new Entry/Exist System (EES) in April has meant that non-EU travellers now have to provide fingerprints and a facial image in the Schengen zone. The move was intended to make border checks more efficient, but since its launch on April 10, the system has caused chaos at border control, with some passengers even missing flights. This is because many airports still don't have fully functional self-service kiosks in place, while border staffing levels and infrastructure remain inadequate to process peak passenger volumes.Now, major European airline Ryanair has warned that there are 16 airports - which it has referred to as 'recurring EES hotspots' - that have seen excessive delays due to slow processing. Locations include Tenerife, Lanzarote, Alicante and Malaga - all popular holiday destinations for Brits in the peak of summer. Other city destinations like Madrid, Krakow, Budapest, Berlin and Paris Beauvais have also been impacted. Ryanair bosses have advised passengers to allow extra time on their travel day and to be prepared for longer waits when EES checks require passport scanning, fingerprint capture and facial image verification. British tourists are battling through hours-long queues at holiday airports as the new EU passport checks spark chaosThe airline has also called for EES flexibility to be extended until 2028 to allow airports to operate productively before the official roll-out begins. Chief operations officer at Ryanair, Neal McMahon, said: 'We support calls from EU Member States to urgently extend the EES flexibilities.'This will give airports and border authorities the time to improve the infrastructure, fix the broken devices and hire more staff so that families can travel through Europe without disruption.'He added: 'Families heading away for a well-earned summer holiday should be thinking about suitcases, suncream and sangria, not standing in passport queues for hours.'The reality is that the EES system isn't working properly and families are paying the price for a system that does not work months after launch.'Passengers should not be the testing ground for unfinished border infrastructure.'The warning from Ryanair comes as British tourists battled through hours-long queues at holiday airports this week as new EU passport checks sparked chaos. Footage circulating on social media showed disgruntled travellers standing in enormous lines at airports across Europe, from Rome and Palma de Mallorca to Malaga, Faro and Brussels.Earlier this year, British holidaymakers were told to arrive at European airports three hours before their flight home, amid queue chaos caused by new EU border checks.Wizz Air boss Yvonne Moynihan told Brits they should allow more time than usual ahead of their flights, as well as several hours for connections, bring water with them and charge their phones.Ms Moynihan said her airline is advising British travellers to allow an extra hour on top of the already-advised arrival time of two hours early.She told the BBC that while many places have 'seamless' travel, there have been lengthy delays around popular holiday hotspots.'When you land in the destination airport, there might be queues, so you should bring a portable charger or water,' she said. Pictured: Queues form outside Crete airport Footage circulating on social media, such as this image taken at 10pm at Faro border control, shows disgruntled travellers standing in enormous lines at airports across Europe 'Get there early' is a warning that should be taken seriously, as one British traveller posted this image of chaos at Rome Airport Hubs such as Rome Fiumicino Airport have faced long queues – with the airport's boss saying wait times at passport control have tripledThe time it takes Britons to clear passport control has tripled at some European airports since the introduction of the EU's new EES, it has recently emerged – leading to the new early arrival guidance.It comes after earlier this year airline passengers were left vomiting and passing out after becoming stranded in Milan amid border control chaos.Around 100 EasyJet customers were abandoned at Milan Linate Airport, Italy, while waiting to board a flight to Manchester on April 12, with three-hour queues plaguing travellers as the new EU border rules came into force.The airline said the situation was 'outside of our control' and issues with the EU's new EES had caused the delays, adding that the hold-ups were 'unacceptable'.The Daily Mail understands EasyJet delayed the Milan Linate flight by 52 minutes to allow customers extra time, but with the crew approaching the end of their safety-regulated working hours, the flight was forced to depart half empty.It's not the only time passengers have missed a flight as a result of chaotic airport queues.In another incident, British airline passengers were recently left behind in Milan after their flight departed without them as a result of EES delays.The European Commission has said the impact of the new system has been 'limited' in most EU airports. The time it takes Britons to clear passport control has tripled at some European airports since the introduction of the EU's new EES, it has recently emerged Britons have been encouraged to ensure they factor in extra time at European airports With longer queues, some passengers have even reported missing flightsHowever, many key travel bodies have reported otherwise.An open letter from Airports Council International Europe said: 'Since the full rollout of the EES in April, waiting times at border control have increased significantly, now reaching up to five hours during peak traffic periods.'These delays are impacting millions of passengers entering the Schengen Area, including families travelling with young children, elderly passengers and persons with reduced mobility.'At the same time, airports and airlines are experiencing growing operational disruption, including flight delays and missed connections and increasing pressure on frontline staff.'