6-hour airport chaos: new European border rule causing nightmare delays

Australians travelling to Europe are being warned they could face airport delays up to six hours long as a new entry system is now in place in 29 countries across the region.

Smartraveller has warned the new European Union Entry/Exit system (EES) is causing delays of up to four-to-six hours in some European airports, and travellers have missed flights as a result.

The hours-long delays and airport chaos at European borders come after new digital traveller checks were rolled-out across the region.

Over a month after the new digital European Union Entry/Exit system (EES) was implemented, travellers are reporting being stuck in queues and even missing their flights.

A UK paper reported a local family was stuck at Charles de Gaulle airport for more than five hours in queues for EU border biometric checks.

They ended up missing their flight home.

In another incident, more than 100 passengers missed an EasyJet flight from Milan to Manchester after being unable to clear passport control in time, another UK media outlet reported.

A week later, Ryanair passengers were in the same boat at a second Milan airport when they were stuck in a queue so long they had to watch their flight leave without them, according to more reports.

Brett Mitchell, Managing Director of Intrepid Travel ANZ, is warning Australian travellers not to get caught in the same situation.

"For Aussies heading to Europe right now, the practical advice is to allow significantly more time than you normally would at the border, particularly at busy hubs," Mitchell told Explore.

"If you're connecting through a European airport or have a tight onward transfer, build in an extra buffer. Once you're enrolled in the system your subsequent crossings should be smoother, but right now the system is still bedding in."

The EES system was introduced across 29 European countries in a phased approach, wrapping-up on April 10.