A family from the Wirral have been left stranded in Milan after an easyJet flight departed without them, following significant delays at passport control that prevented 105 passengers from boarding the aircraft. Vicky Chapman, 26, from Pensby on the Wirral, was scheduled to return to Manchester this morning with her five-year-old son Fredrik and other family members after a holiday, but they were unable to reach their gate in time due to border hold-ups.
Passport Control Issues Cause Major Disruption
Vicky Chapman revealed that she was among 105 passengers abandoned at Milan's Linate Airport. The 11am flight to Manchester was delayed for 59 minutes while passengers were held up at passport control, but ultimately took off as the flight crew were approaching the end of their mandated time limits. Vicky, her partner Adam Hoijord, son Fredrik, mother Lynne Chapman, and brother Dan Chapman are now stuck in Milan until Tuesday, having had to pay out of pocket for an Airbnb accommodation.
"We Were Totally Refused Entry"
Vicky said: "We got to the airport with more than enough time, and got to our gate at 9.30am, but we were totally refused entry through passport control. We were then told that we are a 'no show' on our flight because we did not get to the gate on time, even though passport control had issues and they would not let us through." She added that they were passed from pillar to post for three hours with no assistance, describing conditions as so hot that people were vomiting and nearly passing out.
New EU Border Checks Blamed for Delays
The hold-ups come as the European Union introduces new border checks under the Entry/Exit System (EES), which has led to longer than usual queues at passport control. The Foreign Office has cautioned travellers that they may need to "wait longer than usual" at the border, with visitors to the Schengen area potentially required to register biometric details such as fingerprints and photographs.
EasyJet's Response and Compensation
EasyJet confirmed that some passengers experienced delays at passport control in Milan and had been advised to allow extra time to navigate through the airport. The airline stated that while the delays were outside of its control, it was sorry for any inconvenience caused and would provide complimentary flight transfers for affected customers. A spokesperson said: "We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers."
Travel Advice Updated Amid EES Rollout
The Foreign Office has revised its travel advice for 29 European countries, including Italy, following the EES rollout. Under the new system, travellers may be asked to input biometric details every time they enter or exit the Schengen area, with children aged 11 or younger exempt from fingerprint scans but possibly required to have their photo taken. This change is replacing the previous manual stamping of passports and is expected to add extra time to border processing.
EasyJet has been holding flights to allow customers extra time where possible, but in this case, the flight to Manchester departed without the stranded passengers. The airline emphasised that it is doing all it can to minimise the impact of airport queues, but the situation highlights the ongoing challenges as new border systems are implemented across Europe.
