British holidaymakers are being warned they could miss flights this summer due to new EU border rules causing major delays at airports. Travellers heading home from Spain have reported huge queues at passport control, with some unable to reach departure gates in time after being stuck in slow-moving lines.

The disruption is being driven by stricter post-Brexit checks, including mandatory passport stamping for UK travellers entering and leaving the EU. The Entry/Exit System (EES) is a new digital border system being introduced by the European Union. It will replace passport stamping for non-EU travellers — including Brits — when entering and leaving the Schengen Area.

These checks have significantly increased processing times, particularly at busy holiday hotspots like Tenerife, where airports are struggling to cope during peak periods.

One person took to social media to vent their frustration at the system, which has seen some people miss flights.

They wrote: “The key is to arrive three hours early so at least you are in the front of the queue when problems start.”

Another added: “Love Tenerife but HATE the airport.”

In some cases, passengers have arrived at the gate before closing but were still unable to board due to delays getting through border control.

Holidaymakers have described chaotic scenes, with long waits, overcrowding and confusion as staff attempt to manage the backlog.

Experts are now urging Brits to allow significantly more time at airports, warning that queues could worsen as travel demand rises.

Earlier this year, bodies representing airlines and airports wrote to the European Union demanding they take “urgent action” to prevent the rollout of strict border measures causing serious disruption to visitors.

They warned that “non-EU travellers are experiencing massive delays and inconvenience” following the introduction of a new Entry/Exit system (EES), launched in October last year.

The scheme requires “third country nationals”, which includes UK passport holders, to provide fingerprints and facial biometrics the first time they enter a Schengen area border.

The letter, written to Magnus Brunner, the EU commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, warns that non-EU citizens are already experiencing “persistent excessive waiting times of up to two hours” prior to the peak holiday season.”