EastEnders actress Tracy-Ann Oberman MBE was left stranded at an airport after being denied boarding for a flight to Spain, despite her passport not expiring until June 2027. The 59-year-old, known for playing Chrissie Watts on the BBC soap, vented her frustration on X, formerly Twitter, calling out Ryanair and the Home Office for assistance.
Why Was She Denied Boarding?
In a post to her 112,000 followers, Oberman wrote: 'Just tried boarding a flight to Spain. My passport runs out June 2027. Was refused boarding because apparently it ran out in 2026 according to new European rules. Can anyone explain this to me? I'm now stuck @Ryanair @ukhomeoffice - check your passports people. Who knew.'
Followers quickly explained that under EU rules, passports are only valid for travel if they were issued within the last 10 years. Since Oberman's passport was issued in September 2016, it was already 10 years old and thus invalid for EU travel, regardless of the expiry date.
Expert Advice and Compensation
Travel expert Simon Calder responded to Oberman's plea, noting that if her passport expires in June 2027, the earliest issue date would be September 2016, meaning it had not yet reached its 10th birthday. He advised that if she was wrongly denied boarding, the airline must provide an alternative flight, accommodation if needed, and cash compensation.
Oberman claimed she was not alerted to any issues when inputting her passport details during booking. According to Citizens' Advice, Brits must renew their passport if fewer than three months remain at the time of travel, and if the passport is 10 years or older on the day of entry into an EU country.
Ryanair's Response
When approached by The Mirror, a Ryanair spokesperson said: 'As the Daily Mail refuse to provide the information required to look into this (e.g., passenger booking reference, flight details, etc.), we are unable to comment on the basis of an unsubstantiated X thread.'
Oberman had been looking forward to a family holiday after finishing work on Harlan Coben's The Woods and preparing for Noel Coward's Present Laughter. The MoneySavingExpert website warns that if a burgundy passport was renewed early, extra months may have been added, making the passport more than 10 years old and excluded from some destinations.
