Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has issued a stark warning to passengers flying this summer: the airline will not hold flights for anyone caught in airport queues caused by the new EU Entry/Exit System (ESS).
No Waiting for Passengers Stuck in Queues
Speaking on the Telegraph's Travel Expert podcast, O'Leary was asked how long the airline would wait for passengers stuck in long passport control lines. He replied: "Nothing. We will not wait for anybody. If you are stuck, if you are not at the boarding gate when we finish boarding, the plane is going without you."
He added: "We are not delaying our flights for people who are stuck in passport control queues. They have to show up at the airport earlier, but they have to be at the boarding gate; otherwise, they are not flying."
EU Entry/Exit System Causing Disruption
The new digital border system, fully implemented in April, has led to significant travel disruptions. Thousands of holidaymakers have faced queues lasting hours at airport arrivals and departures across the EU and Schengen area. Some travellers have missed their flights as a result.
Worst-Affected Airports
Travel expert Simon Calder described the ESS as a "Euro shambles". He named Milan Malpensa, Lisbon, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt and Copenhagen as airports with the worst delays. Calder recounted his own experience at Milan Malpensa: "The fingerprint stuff took an hour, and I was the first one off the EasyJet plane from Gatwick."
He added that at another terminal, it took 45 minutes, and they again requested fingerprints, which he said is "absolutely not in the rules." Calder also noted hearing "terrible stories from Lisbon, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt"—large hubs where connecting passengers face severe delays.
