Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has warned passengers that flights will leave without them if they are not at the boarding gate on time, while also delivering a damning verdict on the European Union's travel rules.
Planes will not wait
Speaking on The Travel Expert podcast, O'Leary said that if passengers are not at the boarding gate when the flight has finished boarding, it will leave without them. He said it is travellers' responsibility to arrive for flights on time.
"We will not wait for anybody," he said. "Our priority is to those passengers who are at the boarding gate when boarding starts. If you're not at the boarding gate when we finish boarding, the plane is going without you."
EU border delays
British holidaymakers have faced added stress from the EU's entry-exit system (EES) after a change to the digital borders scheme took effect in April, leading to waits of up to three hours at Schengen Area airports. Hundreds of travellers on various airlines, including Ryanair, have missed flights since April due to extreme delays at passport control, spending hundreds of pounds on replacement flights and hotels, only to find that neither the airline nor travel insurers will cover the cost.
O'Leary called the lack of passenger rights "regrettable" and said Ryanair will not delay flights for passengers stuck in passport control queues. "They have to show up at the airport earlier [and] be at the boarding gate, otherwise they're not flying," he said.
During the podcast, O'Leary also called EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen 'stupid'.
