Brits could spend longer in airport queues as new EU rule rolled out next month

Brits entering Europe could spend more time waiting at airports from September as a new rule is rolled out.

Borders across the EU have experienced long queues since the new Entry/Exit System (EES) was fully rolled out in April.

They must register upon their first entry to a Schengen country. The process involves having photographs and fingerprints taken.

It has caused long wait times for some travellers and missed flights for others.

EU member states are currently allowed to pause EES checks in "exceptional circumstances", such as when queues become too long.

Waits could worsen from September 6 when a flexibility rule expires.

The EU border security agency Frontex has said that the flexibility will not be renewed next month.

At some airports, the machines are required to be restarted when they become overwhelmed.

Air France-KLM told Politico: "When lines form during the busy summer months, the system is shut off to ensure smooth transit at our hubs in Paris and Amsterdam."

Other hubs have reported problems with the technology where the system is still not fully operational.

In July, the CEO of Europe's biggest budget criticised the EU's rules.

Hundreds of travellers on a range of airlines have missed planes since April, including Ryanair who watched their flights take off without them because of extreme delays at passport control.

Speaking on The Travel Expert podcast, Ryanair head Michael O'Leary said it was still down to passengers to leave enough time to get to their boarding gate, or risk being left behind, however.

"We will not wait for anybody," he said.

"Our priority is to those passengers who are at the boarding gate when boarding starts.

"If you're not at the boarding gate when we finish boarding, the plane is going without you."