A Ryanair passenger has warned fellow tourists after being left stranded in Tenerife following a chaotic experience at the airport. Shona Clarkson, travelling with her family, shared a video on TikTok detailing the ordeal, which she described as a 'nightmare'.
According to Clarkson, she and her family waited in a passport control queue for two and a half hours. Despite checking the airport app for their gate and proceeding directly there, their flight departed without them, along with 70 other passengers, many of whom were families with babies.
The flight remained on the tarmac for an additional two hours to remove their baggage, but passengers were not allowed back on board. Clarkson said they had to book another apartment and could not fly home until Wednesday, with no earlier flights available.
Commenters on the video expressed concern, with some noting similar experiences. One suggested extending check-in times to allow for passport control delays. Clarkson attributed the issue to long-standing problems at passport control, which have been 'horrendous for the last couple of years'.
The delays may be linked to the rollout of the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES), which began in October 2025 and is expected to be fully operational by April 2026. The system registers biometrics for non-EU nationals and has been warned to cause delays. However, Ryanair is not responsible for passport control, and the airline has been proactive in informing passengers about EES.
