issues

Officials in New York and New Jersey have issued an air quality health alert because of wildfire smoke just days before the World Cup final.

Haze caused by Canadian wildfires has blanketed the New York region, prompting officials to urge residents to reduce outdoor exertion and stay indoors if possible.

New York New Jersey Stadium – which is in East Rutherford, New Jersey – will host the final between Spain and Argentina on Sunday, 19 July (20:00 BST).

Conditions deteriorated just before Spain landed in New Jersey on Wednesday night, a day after their semi-final victory over France in Texas.

Spain spent Thursday training outdoors, looking unaffected by the air quality. They have not commented on whether they are concerned.

Argentina, meanwhile, stayed in Georgia after their semi-final win over England, but will begin training in New Jersey on Friday afternoon.

Contractor Dan Edgar said his daughter Kaitlynn was practising at New York New Jersey Stadium on Thursday, where she will be dancing and performing for the final.

“She’s texting me that it’s bad out there,” he said. “It’s hard to dance, she says you can feel the air, it’s heavy.”

The smoke-filled sky and extremely hot temperatures have already been experienced by some footballers. The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) went ahead with a match between Gotham FC and Washington Spirit on Wednesday night in front of a record crowd at Citi Field in Queens despite the orange haze.

The air quality index meant players were mandated to take two breaks per half according to NWSL policy.

Washington Spirit’s Trinity Rodman said after the match that the air quality was rough, and in her opinion, they shouldn’t have played.

Rodman said: “Not to make excuses at all, but I think on both sides we were all like, ‘another break, another break, another break’.”

New Yorkers are relieved conditions are not as intense as they were in June 2023, when the skies turned completely orange because of Canadian wildfires.

New York New Jersey Stadium is an open-air facility, but at the moment there is no suggestion the World Cup final, with more than 80,000 spectators and a star-studded half-time show, will be affected.

The air quality in the area is expected to improve on Friday while forecast rain on Saturday should further help disperse some of the smoke.

On Thursday, the Major League Soccer match between Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps was postponed because of poor air quality conditions in the Chicago area.

Former Bayern Munich and Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski was set to make his debut for Chicago having joined as a free agent last month.

Fifteen destinations in particular are facing major airport delays as the EU’s new digital passport checks are causing ‘slow processing times and excessive queues,’ Ryanair warned

Ryanair has warned UK families to prepare for lengthy passport queues and airport delays due to the EU‘s new automated border control system.

The budget airline said the new Entry/Exit System (EES) – which replaces physical passport stamps with a digital record for travellers – has continued to cause disruption months after becoming fully operational on April 10.

Fifteen destinations in particular are now facing significant delays due to “slow processing times and excessive passport control queues on both arrivals and departures,” Ryanair warned.

The airline added: “With schools now breaking for summer and passenger volumes reaching peak levels, the failed EES rollout is going to cause unnecessary delays and long queues for UK families.

“Months after EES went live, many airports still do not have fully functioning self-service kiosks in place, while border staffing levels and infrastructure remain inadequate to process peak passenger volumes.

“The result is avoidable delays, longer queues and unnecessary stress for UK passengers travelling during the busiest holiday period of the year.”

Ryanair has warned UK travellers going to and from non-Schengen destinations, or transiting through affected European airports, to be prepared for extended waits at passport control.

The new EES checks may require passengers to complete passport scanning, fingerprint capture and facial image verification.

Ryanair says it is supporting calls from EU Member States to urgently extend the current EES flexibilities into early 2027.

This will allow airports more time to fix malfunctioning kiosks, increase staff numbers and make sure the system is running smoothly before full enforcement is introduced, the airline said.

Ryanair’s Chief Operations Officer, Neal McMahon, said: “Families heading away for a well-earned summer holiday should be thinking about suitcases, suncream and sangria, not standing in passport queues for hours.

“The reality is that the EES system isn’t working properly and families are paying the price for a system that does not work months after launch. Passengers should not be the testing ground for unfished border infrastructure.

“We support calls from EU Member States to urgently extend the EES flexibilities. This will give airports and border authorities the time to improve the infrastructure, fix the broken devices and hire more staff so that families can travel through Europe without disruption.”

Ryanair identified 15 places where passengers have faced “recurring EES hotspots where passengers are experiencing significant delays due to slow processing times and excessive passport control queues on both arrivals and departures”.

Airports facing worst EES airport delays

• Lisbon
• Tenerife South
• Madrid
• Lanzarote
• Alicante
• Malaga
• Milan Bergamo
• Milan Malpensa
• Verona
• Paris Beauvais
• Berlin
• Cologne
• Frankfurt Hahn
• Krakow
• Budapest

ANOTHER nine airports across Europe are at risk of massive queues this summer, Ryanair has warned.

The long wait times at airports are being caused by the rollout of the EES system, which now requires biometric checks from Britons.

Not only does this take longer, but slow, broken or even a lack of machines has seen passengers even miss their flights due to the long queue times at the airport.

Ryanair has already warned to expect longer queues at the following airports:

• Tenerife South
• Palma
• Alicante
• Malaga
• Milan Bergamo
• Krakow
• Paris Beauvais

But it has since warned of more airports that have already seen huge delays.

WORD OF WARNING

Ryanair travel warning to passengers flying to Europe this summer

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These include:

• Lisbon
• Lanzarote
• Madrid
• Milan Malpensa
• Verona
• Budapest
• Berlin
• Cologne
• Frankfurt Hahn

Ryanair is now calling for more flexibility from the EU to be extended to 2027, which allows countries to pause EES checks if there are high volumes of passengers.

The airline has said that not only do many airports still not have fully-functioning self-service kiosks, but they called border staffing and infrastructure “inadequate”.

Passengers are being advised to allow extra time to get through the airport, after some passengers waited more than three hours already.

And Rafael Schvartzman, vice-president for Europe at the International Air Transport Association (Iata) warned queue times could stretch to as much as six hours.

Ryanair’s Chief Operations Officer, Neal McMahon, said: “Families heading away for a well-earned summer holiday should be thinking about suitcases, suncream and sangria, not standing in passport queues for hours.

“The reality is that the EES system isn’t working properly and families are paying the price for a system that does not work months after launch. 

“Passengers should not be the testing ground for unfished border infrastructure.”

Last month, 150 Ryanair passengers missed their flight from Toulouse, France to the UK due to queues of up to 500 people in the airport.

In another case, around 50 passengers returning home from Athens recently missed their flight as they were still queuing through the airport.

Travel Reporter Alice Penwill recently also queued for three hours to get out of Lanzarote Airport.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has issued an alcohol warning to Brits travelling to Greece, and it’s particularly important ahead of the summer holidays

The Foreign Office has issued a warning to British holidaymakers travelling to Greece about the consumption of alcohol.

On Tuesday, 14 July, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel advice for Greece to include new information on alcohol laws and underage drinking. The guidance was outlined on its ‘safety and security’ page, which is crucial advice for any Brits planning to visit Greece, particularly ahead of the summer holidays.

The FCDO stated in the update: “It is illegal to sell or provide alcohol to anyone under 18, any businesses found doing so can face large fines and possible closure. Bars and nightclubs are not allowed to admit or serve anyone under 18, even if accompanied by an adult. Expect age verification checks at points of sale.”

In a stark warning to British travellers, the Foreign Office added: “If a minor is harmed through excessive drinking, or underage intoxication is brought to the attention of local authorities, parents or other accompanying adults, as well as those who supplied the alcohol, could face legal consequences under general child protection laws.”

The new information on alcohol in Greece comes as thousands of families are expected to jet off abroad during the summer holidays. The FCDO also warned Brits to “always carry your passport, to show to the police if they request identification”, as they may not accept a copy or other forms of identification documents.

Ahead of the busy summer period, the FCDO has also updated its safety advice on swimming. For anyone travelling to Greece, they warned: “Every year, people drown in the sea and in swimming pools in Greece.”

In advice when using a swimming pool, they said: “Always supervise children. Keep small children within arm’s reach in and around swimming pools, even if they can swim or there is a lifeguard present.”

For anyone planning a trip to the beach in Greece, the Foreign Office further advised: “Take care when swimming in the sea. Always supervise children and keep small children within arm’s reach.

“Hidden rocks or shallow depths can cause serious injury or death. Do not dive into unknown water.

“Many organised beaches have a flag system. Make sure you understand the system and follow any warnings. A red flag means you must not enter the water.

“Take extra care and get local knowledge if there are no lifeguards, flags or signs.”

Water sports are another popular activity during a trip abroad, particularly in the azure waters of Greece. The FCDO cautioned: “Only book activities at a licensed water sports centre and before you start:

• Make sure the paperwork is completed
• Ask for a safety demonstration
• Make sure you know how to call for help

“For more advice, see the website for Safe Water Sports, a non-profit organisation in Greece that aims to prevent accidents.”

For more information, visit the Foreign Office travel advice website.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

The travel expert has a message to anyone who has booked easyJet flights

Travel expert Simon Calder has issued a message to anyone with flights booked with easyJet. Last week, it was reported that the budget British airline has agreed to be bought by a US investment giant for £5.7billion.

EasyJet announced it had reached an “agreement in principle” with Apollo Global. It comes after a series of approaches by another American giant, Castlelake, which could come back with a counter offer.

It is unclear what the deal, if it happens, would mean for easyJet customers and employees. However, Simon has given his expert verdict on the situation.

Explaining the deal on the Travel Expert with Simon Calder podcast, he said: “easyJet for a fair while was the biggest budget airline in Europe, then Ryanair gradually overtook.

“We are now at the stage where Ryanair is almost twice as big as easyJet but its market capitalisation, in other words what investors think it is worth, is about five or six times easyJet.”

If the deal goes through, Simon explained the best case scenario would be if not much changes.

He said: “That easyJet continues on its trajectory which is one of steady growth and of course, offering great service, incredible safety standards and delivering very good value for the traveller.”

Many passengers are worried about what the potential deal could mean for flights and holidays already booked, especially in the coming weeks as we enter peak summer travel season.

Simon’s co-host Greg Dickinson urged: “Let us stress that if you have a holiday booked with easyJet this summer or a flight with easyJet, it is going ahead as normal.

“These changes are going to take months to get the deal completed, and it will be a year until we start seeing anything different.”

Simon agreed as he said: “I think that is absolutely right, do not fret. I’ve had some people say to me, ‘Is it alright to book with easyJet?’ Well, of course it is.”

The travel expert said that if you have flights booked next year and the potential takeover means the flight won’t run, passengers are entitled to ask the airline to find them an alternative at the airline’s expense.

He added: “It would not be a problem, carry on booking easyJet and the interesting element will be whether it goes through.”

A stock market statement said: “Apollo has followed easyJet for many years and continues to regard it as one of the most attractive businesses in the global aviation sector and a highly differentiated franchise with significant long-term growth potential.”

It added: “Apollo places a high value on people and believes that identifying and retaining key staff within the easyJet Group will be of paramount importance.” It also said other investments by Apollo in airlines had led to it “growing the employee bases”.

EasyJet was founded by entrepreneur Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou in 1995 to offer low-cost fares in Europe. The first inaugural flights took off in November 1995, flying from Luton to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Sir Stelios and his family still own 15.3% of the airline.

Aarin Chiekrie, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “EasyJet shareholders are strapping in for an exciting ride as Apollo enters the race to land the orange airline company.

“Apollo’s offer is now the preferred option and the one that easyJet’s management would recommend to shareholders. But the deal’s not off the runway yet, with Apollo having until August 7 to decide whether to make a formal bid. In that time, rival bidder Castlelake could still come to the table with improved terms.”

Brits heading to the holiday hotspot have been warned they need to take precautions, especially around the beach and at swimming pools, after a spate of incidents across the country

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advice for Portugal with a number of tips for people visiting the country this summer.

With scorching-hot weather across the country and much of Europe, the FCDO has issued fresh guidance for holidaymakers heading to the beach or planning to relax by a swimming pool. While the advice has been issued for Portugal, it also covers Madeira, Porto Santo and the Azores.

The first update was around festivals, concerts and cultural events. The FCDO said: “Many large events are held in Portugal each year. Follow the advice of police and local authorities when attending events. Take care of your valuables if attending a festival or large concert.”

The FCDO also had a stark warning, saying: “Every year, people drown in the sea and in swimming pools in Portugal.” For parents, it advised: “Always supervise children. Keep small children within arms-reach in and around swimming pools, even if they can swim or there is a lifeguard present. Be particularly vigilant of children if you are staying in a villa with a private pool.”

And for those planning a trip to the beach, the advice states: “Take care when swimming in the sea. Always supervise children and keep small children within arms-reach. Don’t walk close to the water’s edge, especially along unsupervised stretches of beach. Waves can be unpredictable and some beaches have a strong undertow.

“Beware of rip tides, which can cause drowning. If you are caught in a rip tide, do not try to swim against it. Swim parallel to the coastline until you no longer feel the current, then try to swim towards the shore.

“Hidden rocks or shallow depths can cause serious injury or death. Do not dive into unknown water and do not swim at beaches where a river runs into the sea as there may be strong currents.

“Supervised beaches have a flag system. Make sure you understand the system and follow any warnings (a red flag means you must not enter the water, yellow means it’s only safe to paddle at the water’s edge). Take extra care and get local knowledge if there are no lifeguards, flags or signs.”

Those who are visiting a popular Portuguese resort were also warned: “The municipality of Albufeira has introduced a Code of Conduct which bans inappropriate behaviour in public places. Check out the rules that are now in force. If you break the rules, you could be fined on the spot from between 150 and 1800 euros.” The list of fines includes penalties from €150 to €750 (about £128 to £640) for spitting on the street, and €300 to €1,500 (about £255 to £1,278) for drinking alcohol in the street.

Brits heading to Portugal, or any other holiday destination, should always check the FCDOs advice before travelling. Travellers can also sign up for updates ahead of their journey in case the advice changes.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

New information has been released today

Travel association ABTA has issued some new advice today for travellers heading to the likes of Spain and France this summer.

Fresh research published today by ABTA, the travel association, has shown how the Middle East conflict has transformed the way and timing of holiday bookings, with travellers increasingly turning to travel professionals. Almost a third (31%) of UK adults considering a holiday within the next 12 months indicated they were more inclined than previously to book through a travel professional following the current Middle East conflict.

The primary reasons cited were their ‘knowledge’ at 53%, ‘expertise’ at 44%, and ‘wanting the security of a package holiday’ at 41%. Furthermore, 27% of people were more likely to book a package holiday than before the current conflict in the Middle East.

Having everything organised (52%) and the entitlement to a refund or replacement if the holiday can no longer go ahead (48%) were the most frequently cited reasons, followed by value for money (38%).

Where are people heading for their holidays this summer?

The Middle East conflict has had a substantial effect on travel, initially resulting in flight delays, cancellations and warnings against travel. The consequences persist, with numerous routes to or passing through the Middle East cancelled and yet to resume, prompting travel professionals to explore alternative routes or suggest different destinations to ensure people can still enjoy their desired holidays.

Following the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) recently revised travel guidance for several Gulf nations, which has eased prior restrictions, the appetite for travel to or via the region is anticipated to grow in the coming months. Nevertheless, reduced flight availability to and through the area this summer means numerous holidaymakers are opting for a short-haul break.

Of all those intending to head abroad over the next 12 months, 84% indicated they were planning to visit Europe. Spain tops the charts as the most sought-after destination for 38% of those contemplating a foreign holiday this summer.

Italy and France complete the top three most favoured locations, with 23% and 19% respectively of summer travellers considering heading there.

Despite short-haul breaks proving a hit this summer, the desire to venture further afield on long-haul trips remains strong. A total of 13% planned to holiday in the USA, 6% Australia and 6% Japan, all making the Top 10 most popular destinations.

Will people be booking their summer holidays at the last minute?

The impact of the conflict is also shaping booking behaviour, with a growing number of travellers choosing last-minute reservations, as they adopt a wait-and-see approach regarding prices and the broader cost of living. Among those considering an overseas holiday during the summer of 2026, 30% of UK adults were holding off on booking until two to four weeks before their planned departure date. A further 10% planned to book less than two weeks before travelling.

Mark Tanzer, chief executive officer of ABTA, said: “While global events are influencing how people plan and book their holidays and where they go, our appetite to travel abroad this summer and beyond continues to be strong.

“People are determined to get away and the UK’s travel agents and tour operators are expertly placed to help them access the best deals and understand the latest travel advice.

“With so many people saying they will book late, our advice is to get ahead of the pack and arrange your holiday now to avoid any last-minute rush.”

ABTA’s research was conducted by The Nursery Research and Planning using a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults, with the survey taking place between May 8, 2026 and May 19, 2026.

July 8 (UPI) — The U.S. military resumed attacks against Iran on Wednesday afternoon “to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command said.

“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway,” the statement continued.

U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking at a news conference at the end of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, said the United States would resume its naval blockade of Iran. He said further negotiations were “a waste of time” and added “Let’s just finish the job.”

Trump had earlier characterized the resumed strikes as “a little warning,” and said, “We’re going to hit them hard tonight, but we’ll see how it all works out.”

Iranian media reported explosions in the cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik, which the United States also struck Tuesday, and in the cities of Chabahar and Konarak on Iran’s southern coast. Sources said Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant did not sustain any damage.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the Pentagon would strike Iran “even more and even deeper” if Trump said the word.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump called Iran’s leaders “scum” and “vicious, violent people.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that addressing Iran with “derogatory language” does not diminish it.

“Iranians are known for their civility, culture and strong moral values,” he said in a social media post. “We do not answer vulgarity with vulgarity, but with action: fearlessly and with great valor.”

Tuesday’s attacks lasted about four hours and struck more than 80 targets, U.S. Central Command said. The attacks came after Iran attacked three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States also reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil sales in retaliation for the attacks. Iran said the sanctions were “in clear violation” of the memorandum of understanding to end the conflict between Iran and the United States that was signed in June.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office issued a travel warning on Monday following an incident in Rotterdam that has caused disruption for the past six days

Eurostar passengers heading to Europe had their trips disrupted by a fire.

Eurostar services between the UK and the Netherlands have been severely disrupted following a fire near Rotterdam Central station. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office issued a travel warning on Monday following last week’s blaze.

Last Monday, multiple London–Amsterdam services were canceled after a fire broke out in a cable duct near Rotterdam Stadion. It caused a major power failure that shut down rail traffic south of Rotterdam.

“Completely messed up my travel plans, ended up getting the ferry,” one unlucky customer who got caught up in the disruption wrote online. Another added: “We had to take the coach to Brussels. I hope we will get our refund.”

The outage disabled signaling and switch systems between Rotterdam Centraal and destinations, including Dordrecht and Breda

“Eurostar services between the UK and the Netherlands are severely disrupted following a fire near Rotterdam Central station,” the FCDO statement issued this morning read.

“Eurostar has advised that they expect trains to be disrupted until at least 6 July 2026. Travel times are expected to be significantly longer due to trains having to take alternative routes due to fire damage and trains between London and Amsterdam will not stop in Rotterdam.

“If you are planning to travel between the UK and the Netherlands, check the latest information with your travel operator before you travel and the latest updates on the Eurostar website.”

Passengers are warned to check with their booking operator before they travel between the UK and the Netherlands.

A statement from the rail firm reads: “Due to fire damage to the railway near Rotterdam, we expect our trains to be disrupted until at least 6 July 2026. Trains running between London and Amsterdam will not stop at Rotterdam and trains running between France/Belgium and Amsterdam will not stop at Schiphol or Rotterdam.

“As these trains need to take an alternative route around the damaged area, journey times will be significantly longer, and seat availability is very limited. We expect the disruption to last until at least 06 July 2026. We apologise for the inconvenience the situation has caused.”

The update comes after the Foreign Office has issued fresh travel advice for Brits heading to Greece. In the update on Thursday, July 2, the FCDO warned that “terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Greece.”

While there is no current advice against travel to Greece for British holidaymakers, the FCDO said that “attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreign nationals.”

The FCDO outlined: “There have been several attacks involving explosives and automatic weapons against Greek institutions, shopping malls, banks, media offices, diplomatic premises and the police.”

One tragic attack took place on Wednesday, July 1, which saw “three improvised incendiary device attacks against the residential properties of Greek political figures killed one person, with four others being injured.”

The Azteca Stadium has issued a shelter-in-place order because of severe weather before the last-16 World Cup tie between Mexico and England.

The match in Mexico City is set to kick off at 18:00 local time on Sunday (01:00 BST Monday).

There has been heavy rain in the city during the day and reports of lightning above the stadium.

The current advice for supporters and media inside the ground is to remain in their seats.

Fifa held talks with the English and Mexican football associations on Friday after proposing the match be moved to 19:00 BST on Sunday (12:00 local time) before a U-turn resulted in the kick-off time remaining unchanged.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued an urgent travel warning to Brits heading to Portugal this summer

Brits heading to Portugal are facing an urgent travel alert this summer. The warning, issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), comes amid devastating wildfires sweeping through parts of the European nation.

More than 1,000 firefighters are tackling the blazes just north of Porto. Euronews reports that authorities have declared a red heat alert across the country, a firm favourite with British holidaymakers. Approximately 2.5 million Brits travel to the country annually.

An extreme high temperature warning has been put in place by the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere, covering Porto and regions to the north and east of the coastal city. In all, 12 of the nation’s 18 districts are on alert, from Thursday 2 July until at least Saturday 4 July, with a ‘persistent spell of extremely high temperatures, both daytime highs and overnight lows’.

The remaining six regions are under orange alert, heightening the wildfire threat. This has triggered a warning from the FCDO. It says: “There is a high risk of wildfires during the summer season from April to October.”

It continues: “There is an increased risk of wildfires from April to October when the weather is hot and dry. Wildfires can start anywhere in Portugal.

“Wildfires are highly dangerous and unpredictable. The Portuguese authorities may evacuate areas and close roads for safety reasons.”

You should: “Starting a fire, even if it is by accident, is illegal and you could get a fine or a prison sentence. For information about active wildfires and forecasts, visit the Portuguese Met Office website for information on Portugal and Madeira.”

The Minister of Internal Administration has suggested the possibility of deliberate criminal activity behind the widespread blaze, which broke out overnight.

“Night-time does not usually provide conditions for ignitions to occur, and yet there were two ignitions at around 02:00–03:00 in the morning,” said Luís Neves, speaking to journalists in Torres Novas. He added that ‘everything indicates that there was, in fact, human involvement, criminal behaviour’.

Travel expert Simon Calder has urged anyone with a summer holiday booked to check their passport validity before travelling to the EU

Travel expert Simon Calder has issued a stark warning to anyone planning to head abroad this June, July and August. Countless Britons are eagerly counting down the days to their summer getaways during the peak travel season.

Yet Simon has urged everybody to carry out a crucial check before setting off, in order to avoid “wrecked holidays”. He explained that “thousands upon thousands” of travellers have already been caught out and missed their long-awaited breaks.

He took part in a discussion on BBC Radio 2, where one holidaymaker revealed he had been turned away at the boarding gate before his flight.

James Luton had been due to fly to Portugal last week to celebrate his 50th birthday, but was denied boarding at the airport gate because his passport had been issued more than 10 years ago — despite not having expired.

Britons travelling to EU or Schengen area destinations cannot hold passports that are older than 10 years upon arrival at their holiday destination. The passport must also remain valid for a minimum of three months beyond the date you intend to return home.

Simon appeared on the programme to implore everyone with holidays booked to check their passports before it’s too late. He said: “Unfortunately, he [James] is just one of thousands upon thousands of people who have fallen foul of this.

“As we speak, there will be people who have headed to the airport, and the same thing happened to them. It is just absolutely miserable.”

Simon urged: “You must remember, if you are going to the EU apart from Ireland, you cannot have a passport older than 10 years on the day you enter. It is the only part of the world that cares about when your passport is issued.

“Everywhere else only cares about the expiry date. Please, if you are going away in June, July and August please check that your passport is going to comply.

“Has it had its 10th birthday on the day you plan to go away, and has it got at least three months left on the date you plan to leave? That way, we can hopefully avoid too many more wrecked holidays.”

Prior to 2018, passports could stay valid for up to 10 years and nine months.

This was due to unused months from old passports being transferred to new ones, but this practice was scrapped in 2018.

The issue predominantly impacts those with burgundy passports, since anyone holding a blue passport obtained it in 2020 or afterwards.

It’s still advisable to verify children’s blue passports, as these are usually only valid for five years.

RYANAIR has warned Brits of further travel chaos ahead of the school summer holidays, after passengers missed their flights home and have been left in massive queues at the border.

The budget airline has slammed the EU’s rollout of the new passport control Entry/Exit System (EES), claiming it is not ready for the school summer holidays travel period.

As a result, the airline is now calling on European governments to suspend EES, which started back in April.

The airline warned that seven airports are likely to be hit the worst having already experience problems – these are:

• Tenerife South
• Palma
• Alicante
• Malaga
• Milan Bergamo
• Krakow
• Paris Beauvais

Ryanair added that the system should be suspended until September – which marks the end of the busy summer period – to avoid travel chaos.

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Rafael Schvartzman, the vice-president for Europe at the International Air Transport Association (Iata) warned earlier this summer that queue times could stretch to as much as six hours.

It comes as some families have experienced lengthy delays at airports across Europe already this year, which has resulted in missed flights.

Last month, 150 Ryanair passengers missed their flight from Toulouse, France to the UK due to queues of up to 500 people in the airport.

In another case, around 50 passengers returning home from Athens recently missed their flight as they were still queuing through the airport.

Travel Reporter Alice Penwill recently also queued for three hours to get out of Lanzarote Airport.

Ryanair is advising passengers to arrive at the airport earlier than usual to ensure they have enough time to get through the queues.

Ryanair’s Chief Operations Officer, Neal McMahon said: “As schools break up and Europe enters the busiest travel period of the year, it is clear that EES is still not ready for peak summer volumes.

“Passengers and families should not be used as guinea pigs for a half-baked passport control system that risks creating long queues, missed flights and unnecessary stress at airports this summer.

“It is as simple as postponing EES until September, as other EU countries like Greece have already done.

“Ryanair calls on European Governments once again to delay the implementation to protect passengers, families and airport operations during the school holiday rush, instead of forcing holidaymakers to endure needless passport control chaos.”

Ryanair’s intervention comes after an open letter published online on Wednesday in which top representative bodies for Europe’s airports and airlines said that delays caused by EES had reached a “critical point”.

Ryanair has issued a warning to families travelling this summer.

The budget airline has lashed out at the EU’s passport control Entry/Exit System (EES), arguing that the system is not ready for the end-of-school-term travel period, when millions of families will travel across Europe for their summer holidays.

Ryanair has called on European governments to suspend the rollout of EES until September, when the busiest travel period has passed, to prevent passengers, many travelling with young families, from being forced to suffer long and avoidable passport control queues.

The airline’s intervention comes after an open letter published online on Wednesday in which top representative bodies for Europe’s airports and airlines said that delays caused by EES had reached a “critical point”.

“Passengers have already been forced to queue for extended periods outside terminal buildings and on exposed aprons because border control facilities cannot process arrivals quickly enough. Airlines face half-empty planes at gate closing time, while passengers are stuck in border control queues,” the statement from industry groups ACI Europe, which represents airports, Airlines 4 Europe and the International Air Transport Association, which represents airlines, read.

The group claimed some planes have had to delay takeoff while waiting for passengers and that queues are reaching up to five hours at peak times. Recently, The Mirror exclusively reported that huge passport and security queues at Athens Airport led to passengers missing their Ryanair flight – without the EES gates even being in operation.

Ryanair has warned passengers of the increased queues at passport control when travelling to non-Schengen destinations, and urged them arrive earlier at the airport.