The NEW Airport Rule That Could Affect Your Next Flight

If you’re flying, we know it can be hard to keep track of all the new rules that have recently been implemented.

Even recently, rules about flying have changed, including the Real ID rules in the U.S., as well as new rules when flying to and from Europe. Speaking of the Europe, one new rule for flying into and out of the European Union (EU) that was recently implemented is creating chaos at airports, so we want you to be prepared.

On April 10th, the EU expanded its new Entry-Exit System (EES), which has been rolling out to European airports since October 2025. This will require U.S. passport holders (or any passport holders from outside the EU) over 12 years old to have their photo taken and their fingerprints documented when traveling to EU countries. This new system is set to replace manual passport stamping for travelers.

However, according to The Guardian, this new system has been causing a lot of headaches at EU airports. Some travelers are reportedly waiting up to three hours to go through the system. There have even been some instances where passengers were unable to board their flights in time because they were still waiting at passport check locations.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said that the EES was causing lines of up to four hours at some airports. He suggested that the EES be postponed until October.

As a result, some representatives of airlines, as well as the European Commission, have held a meeting to discuss these problems. There is even a request that existing exemptions be extended, as well as fully suspending the new system.

Nothing has been officially decided yet, but if you are traveling to or from Europe soon, you may want to prepare for long lines at airport border check-in points.

We’ll keep an eye out for more travel news, so check back with AllEars again soon for more.