Lanzarote Airport EES chaos is real, but it is not “all the time”

Mr TravelON’s #TruthTravel street check reveals the pattern, and how to avoid the worst days

If you have been on social media lately, you have probably seen the posts, photos, and angry videos. People standing in massive airport queues, sweaty, stressed, kids crying, and that horrible feeling of “we’ve just landed and the holiday is already ruined.” A lot of that fear right now is being linked to the EU Entry Exit System, known as EES, the new biometric border system rolling out across the Schengen zone. It has already triggered warnings about long waits at borders, especially at peak travel times, and reports of multi hour queues at some airports. But here is the important bit for Lanzarote. Based on what Mr TravelON is hearing on the ground in Arrecife, it is not chaos every single day. It is very often a timing problem. Too many arrivals landing close together at a small airport, with extra processing on top. So Mr TravelON did what he always does. #TruthTravel. No drama. No guesswork. He hit the streets and spoke to real holidaymakers to get the reality.

What is EES and why is it causing delays?

EES replaces the old manual passport stamping process for most non EU travellers entering and exiting the Schengen area, including most UK travellers post Brexit. It records your entry and exit electronically, and for many travellers it also includes biometric enrolment, typically a facial image and fingerprints, alongside travel document details. The aim is to modernise border control and improve accuracy when tracking stays (including the 90 days in any 180 day period rule that many UK travellers now have to follow in Schengen). The problem is simple. The first time you are registered takes longer than a quick stamp. Airports with limited space and limited staffing can bottleneck fast when several flights arrive at once. That is why the travel industry has been warning about summer style disruption, and why the EU has allowed flexibility during rollout to reduce congestion.

So what is actually happening in Lanzarote?

Lanzarote is not Heathrow. It is a smaller, busy holiday airport with heavy inbound waves from the UK and Europe. When those waves stack up, the arrivals hall can go from calm to carnage in no time. Mr TravelON’s street interviews and on the ground checks in Lanzarote show a consistent theme:

• Some people arrive and walk straight through, no drama

• Others arrive on certain days and hit long waits

• The worst stories are nearly always linked to “peak arrival clusters”, several flights landing close together, plus slower border processing This lines up with wider reporting across Europe: EES issues tend to bite hardest at peak times, not evenly throughout the day.

The Lanzarote pattern: why Thursdays and Sundays feel worse

Here is the bit that matters for real travellers trying to protect their holiday mood. In Lanzarote, Thursdays and Sundays are classic changeover days for UK and package travel, meaning big volumes moving in and out. You can see this in airline scheduling patterns too, for example easyJet’s year round Birmingham to Lanzarote service operates on Thursdays and Sundays, exactly the kind of timetable that stacks arrivals into predictable peaks. So when EES processing is slower, those already busy days feel even worse. And because the airport is smaller, when several flights land close together, you do not need a “system meltdown” to create a nasty queue. You just need a busy half hour.

Mr TravelON’s top tip to avoid EES carnage at Lanzarote Airport

If you want the simplest, most practical rule for Lanzarote right now, it is this:

Do not book to arrive on a Thursday or Sunday if you can avoid it. Those are the days most likely to have heavy inbound waves, and that is when any EES slowdowns hit hardest. If you have flexibility, aim for a quieter mid week arrival. It is not a guarantee, nothing is, but it is a smart odds play based on how Lanzarote traffic flows and what travellers are reporting on the ground.

What travellers should expect on arrival with EES

Real talk, not fear mongering:

• You might be registered quickly, especially if volumes are low

• You might be asked for biometrics, especially if it is your first time under EES

• If multiple flights land together, queues can jump fast

• Staff and process can feel inconsistent during phased rollout, because countries have flexibility and systems are still bedding in

Bottom line for TravelON travellers

Social media is showing the worst moments, because that is what goes viral. But Lanzarote is not a permanent nightmare zone. The truth is more useful than the panic: it is about timing. When arrivals stack up on busy changeover days, and border processing slows under EES, queues explode and anxiety goes through the roof. So if you want the simplest hack for Lanzarote right now, Mr TravelON’s message is clear: Do not book Thursday or Sunday arrivals if you want to dodge the worst EES carnage.

Quick EES FAQs for Lanzarote travellers

About the author

Mr TravelON is the brand ambassador for TravelON and one of the most watched travel experts in the Canary Islands, with more than 400000 followers across YouTube, TikTok and Facebook. Mr TravelON has worked in tourism for over 25 years with tour operators, excursion suppliers and the local Canary Islands tourism board. He is on the ground in tourist destinations filming content, reviewing tours and talking with holidaymakers every day. His advice comes from real experience and direct contact with the island. As a Travel expert and editor he brings the most up to date travel news.