Ryanair has issued a summer holiday warning, claiming that the EU's passport control Entry/Exit System (EES) is not ready for the peak school holiday travel period. The budget airline has criticized the system, stating that seven airports are experiencing major disruptions, and urged European governments to postpone its implementation until September.
Ryanair Criticizes EES Readiness
The airline has urged people to arrive at the airport early due to prolonged queues. In an open letter published on Wednesday, leading representative bodies for Europe's airports and airlines declared that disruption caused by EES had reached a "critical point." The statement from ACI Europe, Airlines 4 Europe, and the International Air Transport Association noted that "passengers have already been forced to queue for extended periods outside terminal buildings and on exposed aprons because border control facilities cannot process arrivals quickly enough."
The organisations alleged that some aircraft have been forced to postpone departure while awaiting passengers, with queues extending to five hours during busy periods. The Mirror recently reported that extensive passport and security queues at Athens Airport caused passengers to miss their Ryanair flight, even before EES gates were operational.
Impact on Passengers
Ryanair has cautioned passengers about prolonged queues at passport control when travelling to non-Schengen destinations, advising them to arrive earlier. The checks may involve scanning passports, submitting fingerprints, and capturing a facial image. Ryanair maintained that current infrastructure is "NOT ready to manage the high passenger volumes expected during peak season, due to insufficient staff, kiosks and system readiness."
Airports such as Tenerife South, Palma, Alicante, Malaga, Milan Bergamo, Krakow, and Paris Beauvais are experiencing major disruptions, with further congestion expected as the busiest weeks of summer approach.
Call for Delay
Ryanair's Chief Operations Officer, Neal McMahon, stated: "As schools break up and Europe enters the busiest travel period of the year, it is clear that 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."
McMahon added: "It is as simple as postponing EES until September, as other EU countries like Greece have already done. Ryanair calls on European Govts once again to delay the implementation to protect passengers, families and airport operations during the school holiday rush, instead of forcing holidaymakers to endure needless passport control chaos."
