British holidaymakers have been enduring weeks of chaos at airports across Europe with queues up to four hours long after tougher border controls were imposed by the EU – it emerged today.

Airports popular with UK tourists have seen queues stretching back hundreds of yards after stricter checks were imposed on entry and exit to the European 'Schengen' area.

Stricken passengers looking forward to their holidays have been left unaware of the delays which have been ongoing for several weeks but only came to light today.

Some airports have reported long delays to planes taking off while crews wait for passengers to pass the border, with other travellers missing their flights while standing in line.

Pictures of the hell endured by passengers over the last few weeks have emerged today as British families set off on their summer breaks.

Palma airport in Majorca is one of the worst hit, with tourists fainting in hot temperatures in queues.

Tourist Connor Aston told MailOnline: 'There were four guys standing in only one booth yesterday at passport control. I felt they were punishing the UK residents and had a very abrupt attitude. It was absolutely not a good experience.'

Palma airport in Majorca, pictured two weeks ago, is one of the worst hit airports after the EU increased border checks on those entering the 'Schengen' countries of Europe

This shocking picture shows stranded passengers in a queue stretching back hundreds of feet in at Palma Airport on July 18

Thousands of beleaguered travellers have been left standing for airports for hours, including one of the worst hit, Palma (pictured two weeks ago)

This was the scene in Palma, Majorca last month, with further delays expected during the summer holidays

Palma airport, pictured when the changes were first brought in, is among those hit by the changes. This was the scene there in June when passengers reportedly missed flights. Spanish officials said the new rules had 'complicated passport control for British tourists'

This was the scene at Paris's Orly airport last week, where some reported 80-minute delays

This was the scene at Palma airport earlier this summer, where passengers were reportedly missing flights. Source: Facebook / Rob Smith

Mr Aston was trying to get on an Easyjet flight to Belfast with his with partner, mother-in-law and children aged three, six and 12.

He waited around half an hour to get through controls, and added: 'It definitely looked as they were on a go slow.'

Jessica Williams was stuck at Palma Airport for more than two hours, with customers given no information as to what was going on.

Ms Williams told MailOnline: 'The only thing we got told was there was a 'situation' and that our flights wouldn't leave without us.

'We thought it was something to do with terrorism as they wouldn't tell us what was happening. Everyone was getting very annoyed as the air con wasn't on either.'

Nicki Gillon from Manchester told The Sun that people were fainting in the stifling temperatures in the hour-long queue she endured at the same airport last month.

Paul Bower had to wait 90 minutes at Bergerac Airport after flying in from Bristol last Thursday. For much of that time, he and other passengers were standing on the tarmac next to a runway beneath a marquee.

He said: 'There were three booths open but only one was manned. It was definitely taking longer to check each passport.'

Dr Michael Bond said he had a similar experience during a recent trip to Bastia on Corsica, where he waited for an hour on the tarmac to get through passport control.

Dr Bond said: 'We used to zoom through passport control after getting off the aircraft. Not this time. The queue stretched from the tarmac where we landed. It was six people wide and there were two people manning the passport control.'

The issue is also thought to have affected motorists using Dover to Calais ferries. Nigel Rumfitt had to wait an hour to get through controls at the Port of Calais yesterday.

Travellers from outside the Schengen free movement zone are being subjected to stricter vetting at passport control.

One holidaymaker tweeted this photo on July 29 with the caption, 'Queues for passport control at Palma airport this morning - what a farce!'

Hundreds of people could be seen at Palma Airport again on July 10

On July 9, one holidaymaker posted this picture on Twitter telling British Airways: 'Palma Airport passport control is complete chaos'

On July 12 Helena Pielchaty tweeted: 'Nil points for organisation at Palma Airport - crazy queues to get through passport control'

This was the scene at Bordeaux Airport earlier this summer where British travellers claimed they had to wait for one border guard to check passports, delaying three flights

EU border checks insisted on by Brussels have left British holidaymakers queuing for up to four hours at Europe's main airports. Pictured, queues at Schiphol airport, Amsterdam in June

Haydn Chaundy was among the air passengers expressing his outrage at the long delays

Furious: Tourists have taken to Twitter to complain about long waits at European airports

Mr Rumfitt said: 'The port was in chaos with a massive traffic jam at the entrance to the port and about ten lines of traffic funnelling into two lines to get through. We were early but it took an hour and we nearly missed our boat.

'There was no explanation of what was happening but this looks like a deliberate attempt to delay travellers to the UK. The officer to whom I complained blamed staff shortages.'

Why is this happening? How EU rule is causing chaos at airports The long queues at airports inside Europe's Schengen area are due to the implementation of a new EU regulation passed in March. Regulation 2017/458 reinforces rules on checking non-Schengen passengers including Britons against what it calls 'relevant databases', understood to be police and security databases. The new regulation calls on states to 'systematically carry out checks against relevant databases on all persons, including those enjoying the right to freedom of movement under Union law when crossing the external borders'. And the worst could be still to come, with some airports having not yet fully implemented the stricter checks. Countries have to enforce the tighter rules by the 7 October 2017, meaning queues could become even longer by the end of the summer. Advertisement

The problems follow an EU clampdown on people of all nationalities entering or leaving the Schengen zone, the border-free area which operates on the continent.

In the wake of terror attacks, it is understood passengers now have to be checked against a security database.

The changes mean waiting times have soared compared to previous summers, when British holidaymakers were waved through after officials checked the photo page of their passports.

Airlines for Europe (A4E), which represents airlines including British Airways and easyJet, said that some EU countries had not staffed their passport control areas to take the new rules into account - further exacerbating the delays.

Ruth Pishhorn was stuck in severe delays as she and her mother attempted to travel to from London Stansted to Palma Nova, Majorca, from July 17 until July 22.

Ms Pishhorn told MailOnline: 'We have been to Majorca many times in the past few years and we have never experienced queues like it.

'As soon as we got off the plane, we were ushered into the departure lounge and had to walk through the entire departure lounge to join a queue of hundreds of miserable Brits.

'As for increased security, all of that was just to be met with two very miserable security guards who barely checked anyone's passport.

'Then going home the departures lounge was full to the brim of arrivals - the queues were so long that a queue formed from people walking to the queue. Chaos!'

British tourists have complained of massive delays on Twitter, with one traveller fuming: ' @Malaga__Airport I've been to many airports. Never have I had to stand in queue this long for passport control #appalling'.

Another at Schiphol airport, Amsterdam, wrote: 'Amsterdam airport is a disaster again today. Schengen-passport control queue extends beyond E-gates 4hrs waiting time'.

Some airports in Europe still have slow computer systems, increasing the delays, The Times reported today.

This was the scene at Palma airport in Majorca month after the new checks were brought in

Passengers reportedly fainted in the long queues which snaked through the Majorca airport

British tourists among 1,000 people to miss flights as security staff deliberately take 10 MINUTES to pass each of them through security during industrial action There were huge queues at Barcelona airport today where Twitter users said automatic barriers were not in use The industrial action during peak holiday season has caused around 1,000 people to miss flights at the airport British holidaymakers faced further travel misery today as security staff at Barcelona airport took industrial action causing long queues and missed flights. Staff at the El Prat airport were working to rule and deliberately taking the maximum of ten minutes to pass each passenger through security. The industrial action during peak holiday season has caused around 1,000 people to miss flights at the airport in the past few days, airline bosses said. Around 350 staff from the private firm Eulen Seguridad work at the airport controlling queues, operating scanners and searching passengers. They want increased staffing levels and improved working conditions, saying they are stressed and work up to 16 hours a day. Aceta, the association of Spanish air transport companies, said some airlines had to delay flights because many of their passengers could not board on time. The firm said since July 24 around 1,000 passengers had not made their flights. Pictures on social media in recent days have shown long lines of passengers in crowded terminals. A worker for airport operator Aena said some people had reported having to wait up to two hours in a queue. Advertisement

Thomas Reynaert, of airline association A4E said: 'Travellers face long lines and can't get on their flights. Queuing for up to four hours has been the top record these days; airports like Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Lisbon, Lyon, Paris-Orly, Milan or Brussels are producing shameful pictures of devastated passengers in front of immigration booths, in lines stretching hundreds of metres.

WORST HIT AIRPORTS Beleaguered passengers have been stuck in queues stretching back hundreds of metres at airports across Europe. However, the worst hit include Madrid Barajas International Airport, Palma de Mallorca, Lisbon, Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport, Paris-Orly, Milan–Malpensa Airport and Brussels, which have seen a surge in tourists at the start of the summer holidays. Advertisement

'At some airports, flight delays have increased by 300% compared to last year — [Schengen] Member States must take the responsibility for this.'

Palma airport in Majorca is among one of the worst hit, with reports of long waits even before the schools summer holidays started last month.

Extra border officials had to be drafted in to the Balearic island last month amid reports tourists were missing their flights.

A month after new rules were brought in, passengers were reportedly fainting in the long lines which formed at popular tourist island's airport.

Local official, Maria Salom, told expat paper The OIive Press that new controls for non-Schengen residents 'had complicated passport control for British tourists'.

This was the scene in Majorca in April, the month after the new checks were brought in

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen told MailOnline: 'UK travellers will have a sneaky suspicion that this is some kind of EU punishment. They are going to be thinking, what has changed?

'The only thing is that we are leaving the EU.'

Mr Bridgen said the economies of countries like Spain relied heavily on the inflow of tourists from the UK, warning that if people were not treated well they would simply go elsewhere.

'You would have thought that with the eye watering levels of youth unemployment on the continent they could find someone to work in passport control to help the holidaymakers coming to spend their money,' he added.

British holidaymakers are left stranded on the island of Zakynthos after their EasyJet plane spends TWO DAYS grounded on the tarmac Among those marooned in the Greek airport is Mark Longbottom, a charitable foundation worker living in Bristol, and his young family. They have been there for three days Scores of British holidaymakers were today left stranded in 'total chaos' on the Greek island of Zakynthos after their grounded EasyJet plane spent a third day on the tarmac. Technical problems with flight EZY9746 to London Gatwick has meant families have been marooned in Greece since Sunday. The budget airline tried to rescue the men, women and children involved but they claimed a nighttime curfew on landings caused by endangered loggerhead turtles saw them cancel a relief flight. After a string of delays and failed take-offs, some families were forced to spend hundreds of pounds on flights with other companies having lost faith in EasyJet. It is understood around 40 people from the original 180 booked onto Sunday's flight are on their way back to the UK on an EasyJet flight which is due to land in Gatwick at 4.11pm having also been delayed. Advertisement

A spokesperson for the UK's Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said: 'ABTA is aware that new, stricter passport checks are resulting in longer queues at Palma airport which is already busy due to a significant increase in passenger numbers.

'Tour operators will ensure that customers get to the airport in plenty of time so that they are not in danger of missing their flights, however independent travellers will need to ensure that they factor these longer queuing times into their travel plans when flying in and out of the airport.'

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