Ryanair has identified seven airports that are experiencing "major disruptions" due to the new European Union Entry/Exit System (EES) biometric checks, leading to lengthy delays for travellers. The airports most affected are Tenerife South, Palma, Alicante and Málaga in Spain, Milan Bergamo in Italy, Krakow in Poland, and Paris Beauvais in France.
New EES Checks Cause Severe Congestion
The new system, introduced in April, requires most non-EU citizens, including those from the UK, to register their biometric information—fingerprint scans and facial images—on arrival at the border. This replaces traditional passport stamping with digital border checks. Airlines are urging authorities to suspend the checks during the peak summer holiday season, warning they are causing severe congestion, with holidaymakers reportedly facing queues of up to five hours.
Ryanair has warned that some carriers are being hit harder than others, with "further congestion expected" as the summer travel season continues. The delays have resulted in missed flights and aircraft departing with empty seats, while airlines have warned of "queue chaos" as travel demand peaks during the summer.
Ryanair Calls for Suspension
Neal McMahon, Ryanair’s chief operating officer, said: "It is clear that the entry/exit system (EES) is still not ready for peak summer volumes. Passengers and families should not be used as guinea pigs for a half-baked passport control system that risks creating long queues, missed flights and unnecessary stress at airports this summer."
On Thursday, Ryanair said it had already called for a suspension in the "most exposed countries", claiming the current infrastructure is "not ready to manage the high passenger volumes expected" from mid-July. The airline's warning comes as millions of British holidaymakers prepare to travel to EU destinations during the school summer holidays.
