Ryanair passengers were left stranded in Greece after their flight to the UK departed without them, in the latest incident linked to the European Union's new digital border system.
Flight departure without passengers
The Ryanair flight from Athens International Airport to London Luton on Sunday left without a number of passengers, who were delayed by border control procedures. The airline confirmed that 'a number of passengers' did not board in time 'due to delays caused by border control at Athens airport'.
Ryanair added: 'All passengers that were at the boarding gate when this flight from Athens to London Luton boarded, travelled without incident.'
Airport congestion and new border rules
Athens airport reported congestion linked to 'additional processing requirements' for travel to non-Schengen destinations. An airport spokesperson said: 'There have 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.'
EU Entry/Exit System (EES)
The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) is a digital border system that replaced manual passport stamping. It requires non-EU travellers to register their biometrics, including fingerprints and a facial photo, at self-service kiosks on their first entry to the Schengen Area.
The EU says the system aims to improve border security and reduce illegal migration by automating border control checks to prevent visitors from overstaying their visas.
Impact on travellers
The EES is now in place in popular destinations such as Spain, Portugal, and Greece. Some travellers have reported being stuck in queues for up to three hours, as the registration system adds extra steps at the border. In some cases, passengers have missed their return flights after failing to clear the digital system in time.
Greece had attempted to temporarily pause biometric checks for UK tourists, but the Greek Foreign Ministry confirmed the country is fully implementing the EES system this summer.
Criticism from travel industry
The travel industry has criticised the EES, with ABTA, the British Travel Association, calling on destinations and border authorities to develop more robust plans for peak travel periods. Mark Tanzer, ABTA chief executive, said: 'The ambition of a project like EES means it was never going to go completely smoothly, and we were prepared for that. However, what is frustrating is that border authorities have it within their power to ease queues and deal with issues as they arise – but that doesn't seem to be happening across the board.'
