Ryanair's chief executive has issued a blunt warning to holidaymakers: if you are not at the boarding gate when boarding ends, the plane will leave without you — even if you are delayed by the European Union's new border checks. Michael O'Leary said the airline will not hold flights for passengers stuck in passport control queues under the incoming Entry/Exit System (EES).
Ryanair's Stance on Delays
Speaking on Simon Calder's Telegraph podcast, O'Leary made clear that Ryanair's priority is on-time departures, not waiting for late arrivals held up at border control. “We will not wait for anybody. If you're stuck at an entry place, our priority is for the passengers at the boarding gate when boarding starts,” he said.
“If you're not at the boarding gate when we finish boarding, the plane is going without you. What rights do you have on that? You don't have any, which is regrettable. But 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 get to the boarding gate, or else they are not flying.”
EES Implementation and Impact
The EES is the EU's new digital border system for travellers entering the Schengen area, a free-movement zone comprising 26 countries. It requires non-EU citizens to register their fingerprints and have a photo taken on their first arrival, with checks repeated upon departure. These extra steps can slow down passport control, particularly during peak times when many travellers are registering for the first time. Technical and administrative issues have already been reported, leading to long queues.
Once registered, the data is valid for three years from the date of creation or until the passport used expires, whichever comes first.
Financial Consequences of Missing a Flight
Ryanair treats border-control delays, including those caused by EES queues, as an “extraordinary circumstance” and therefore the passenger's responsibility. This means travellers cannot claim compensation if they miss their flight. Instead, they lose the cost of their ticket and must pay a fixed “missed departure” fee of £100 per passenger to be rebooked on the next available flight — a costly addition for couples or families who had booked a bargain fare.
O'Leary argued that the EES process should be completed before travel, not at the airport. “We should be automating all this and taking it online. If you go to the US, the ESTA process, which is basically the same, it is all done online before you fly and the EES should be done the same way,” he said.
