Ryanair passengers were left stranded in Greece after their flight back to the UK departed without them. The flight from Athens to London Luton took off with between 20 and 50 passengers still waiting landside at the airport.
Border Control Delays Blamed
Budget carrier Ryanair attributed the chaos to border delays, while the airport cited congestion caused by 'additional processing requirements.' One traveler told the BBC of witnessing a 'mega queue' stretching several hundred people deep at both security and passport control, all enduring scorching conditions.
'These poor people were pleading with the Ryanair staff to let them through – one guy was crying, another guy looked like he was about to explode,' they recalled. Airport authorities stepped in 'to maintain orderly operations' after 'a number of passengers expressed their dissatisfaction,' officials acknowledged.
Airport Statement
A spokesperson explained there had been 'periods of congestion at passport control in the departures area due to high passenger volumes and the additional processing requirements associated with travel to non-Schengen destinations.' They added: 'As is currently the case at many European airports, passenger flows on certain routes may experience increased processing times as new border-control procedures continue to be implemented and refined.'
Passenger Fury
Another passenger voiced their fury on social media, condemning Ryanair as 'utterly disgraceful you left my daughter (and half your passengers) at the gate in Athens today.' In response, Ryanair issued a statement confirming that 'a number of passengers' failed to board on time 'due to delays caused by border control at Athens airport.' The airline continued: 'All passengers that were at the boarding gate when this flight from Athens to London Luton boarded, travelled without incident.'
Greece Backtracks on Biometric Exemption
Greece has now backtracked on its commitment to spare British holidaymakers from the European Union's forthcoming biometric border controls. Britons will instead face identical Entry/Exit System (EES) registration requirements as all other non-EU arrivals this summer. The Greek Foreign Ministry acknowledged the reversal, confirming it possessed no information suggesting that 'specific nationalities are temporarily exempt from the relevant procedure.'
The policy shift affects more than simply UK passport holders. Every non-EU traveller passing through the biometric scanners will be subject to identical screening. Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni indicated that the government sought to ensure visitors weren't 'burdened' by excessive red tape. She assured Britons would be 'fast-tracked' through the process, claiming entry and exit would require 'a minute or so.'
