Ryanair has issued a caution to families in the UK, advising them to expect long waits at passport control and potential delays at airports due to the European Union’s new automated border control system. The budget airline highlighted that the Entry/Exit System (EES) implemented by the EU to replace traditional passport stamps with digital records for travelers has led to ongoing disruptions since its full activation on April 10.
Specifically, Ryanair mentioned that fifteen destinations are currently experiencing significant delays because of sluggish processing times and lengthy passport control queues during both arrivals and departures. The airline emphasized that with schools breaking for summer and passenger numbers peaking, the flawed rollout of the EES is likely to cause unnecessary inconveniences for UK families.
Months after the launch of the EES system, many airports are still lacking fully operational self-service kiosks, while the border control staffing levels and infrastructure remain insufficient to handle the high volume of passengers efficiently. This has resulted in avoidable delays, extended queues, and added stress for UK travelers during the busiest holiday season.
Ryanair has specifically advised UK passengers traveling to and from non-Schengen destinations or transiting through affected European airports to be prepared for prolonged waiting times at passport control. The new EES checks may involve passport scanning, fingerprint collection, and facial recognition verification.
In response to the situation, Ryanair supports the urgent call from EU Member States to extend the current EES flexibilities until early 2027. This extension would give airports more time to rectify malfunctioning kiosks, increase staff numbers, and ensure the smooth operation of the system before full enforcement is enforced.
Neal McMahon, Chief Operations Officer at Ryanair, expressed concerns about the impact of the EES system on families traveling for summer holidays, emphasizing that passengers should not bear the burden of a malfunctioning border infrastructure. The airline urged for swift actions to improve the system and alleviate disruptions for families traveling across Europe.
Ryanair identified specific locations where passengers have been facing recurring issues with the EES, leading to significant delays at passport control.
