UK travellers heading to European countries this summer could find themselves delayed by up to six hours. Rafael Schvartzman, who serves as the International Air Transport Association's (IATA's) vice-president for Europe, urged caution for Brit holidaymakers who may be caught out by a major change which may have gone unnoticed.

The EU's Entry and Exit System requires travellers from outside the bloc to provide personal information, submit fingerprints and have their photograph captured, with all details verified upon departure. These changes for Brit travellers could mean queueing and heading through passport control takes hours longer than it once did.

Schvartzman called the changes to the passport system and airport security a "hard risk" for travellers who may miss flights due to predicted lengthy queues.

Schvartzman said: "What we are seeing is a very hard risk of really challenging times or waiting times, talking about expectations of three, four, five, six hours which is unacceptable.

"We know for a fact there are many cases where people have lost flights or their connectivity."

According to GB News, these disruptions have already caused chaos for hundreds of passengers hoping to head off for their holiday.

A fellow travel expert has also warned of Brits facing longer queues and delays which may result in their flight departing without them on board. Jürgen Himmelmann, co-founder at Global Work & Travel, urged people not to make a "costly mistake" when travelling this summer.

Himmelmann said: "Many travellers still have the old airport mindset of arriving, checking in and then spending an hour shopping or having a meal before heading towards the gate.

"This summer, that could be a costly mistake. If you're travelling through an airport affected by EES checks, your priority should be getting through security and passport control as quickly as possible. The shops, restaurants and lounges can wait.

"A lot of airports now have food outlets, coffee shops and retail stores beyond passport control. Once you're through, you can relax. Until then, you're taking a risk because queues can build incredibly quickly and move far slower than people expect."