Popular airline Jet2 has issued a new 'suspended' Greece holiday update for passengers. On its website, the company released an announcement about it on Tuesday, April 28, for travellers with flights and holidays booked to the European destination.

In the announcement, Jet2 commended Greek authorities for "prioritising customers" by suspending the European Union's new Entry/Exit System (EES) checks. This follows the country's confirmation of the suspension of the EES biometric checks for UK holidaymakers travelling to Greece.

As summer draws near, Jet2 has confirmed it is working closely with officials across numerous destinations to explore pausing EES checks until the system is fully operational. The new EES has attracted significant criticism since its April 2026 launch, with reports of travel disruption, lengthy queues, and missed flights, particularly affecting British passengers, according to the Mirror.

Jet2 says it has written to and extensively lobbied authorities, including those in Greece, to postpone the implementation of EES. The Greek embassy has stated in an update for British passport holders travelling to Greece that "as of April 10th, 2026, British passport holders are exempt from biometric registration at Greek border crossing points."

Jet2 says this decision is anticipated to substantially enhance the arrival and departure experience. The airline has numerous flights and holidays available via 15 Greek airports this summer, providing over 3.5 million seats for passengers.

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2 said: "We applaud the Greek authorities for acting in the best interests of UK holidaymakers. Our customers work and save very hard for their holidays, and we will always do everything in our power to ensure they have the very best experience when they travel with us."

"We believe that pausing EES checks, until systems and processes are ready, will result in a much better experience for our customers and we are pleased to see that the Greek authorities agree. We expect a quick response in terms of demand for holidays to Greece as a result of this move, and we urge other countries to follow this common-sense approach and put holidaymakers first."

Andreas Fiorentinos, Secretary General of the Greek National Tourist Organisation, said: "Following Jet2's recent announcement welcoming Greece's decision to temporarily suspend biometric checks for British travellers under the EES system, Greece reaffirms its commitment to providing a smooth and visitor-friendly travel experience. Tourism remains a top government priority and a key pillar of the Greek economy.

"Special thanks are due to Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis for his swift and effective intervention, which helped ensure efficient procedures for UK visitors. UK holidaymakers are vital to Greek tourism, and facilitating their travel to Greece remains a strategic priority for the country."

Last week, Jet2 became the first UK airline and tour operator to confirm it will not introduce surcharges on any booked flights or holidays to cover cost increases, for instance, jet fuel. It assured customers that the price they book with Jet2 is the price they will pay.

In an industry-leading move, Jet2 confirmed that it has removed the surcharge provision across all flights and holidays, even though the company says it has never previously applied them.

The European Union’s (EU) Entry/Exit System (EES) started on 12 October 2025. This is a new digital border system that has changed the requirements for British citizens travelling to the Schengen area.

The countries in the Schengen area are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The Republic of Ireland and Cyprus are not within the Schengen area, so EES is not applicable when travelling to either country.

If you are travelling to a country in the Schengen area for a short stay using a UK passport, you may be required to register your biometric details, such as fingerprints and a photo, when you arrive. You do not need to take any action before you arrive at the border, and there is no cost for EES registration.

EES registration is replacing the current system of manually stamping passports upon arrival in the EU. EES may take each passenger extra time to complete, so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border.