Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, has stated that the airline will not delay flights for passengers caught in lengthy queues at European border control. The budget airline's chief executive emphasized that flights will depart as scheduled, and those not at the boarding gate when boarding concludes will be left behind.
His comments come as the new digital Entry/Exit System (EES), introduced in April, continues to cause significant delays and long queues at airports across Europe. The EES is an automated system for non-EU nationals, including UK citizens, entering the Schengen Area, which now spans 29 countries. Ryanair has been a vocal critic of the EES rollout, warning of potential disruptions and advocating for its temporary suspension during the busy summer travel season.
"We will not wait for anybody," O'Leary said in an interview, asserting that the priority is for passengers who are present at the boarding gate when it opens. "If you're not at the boarding gate when we finish boarding, the plane is going without you."
O'Leary also noted that passengers encountering such delays have limited recourse. "You don't have any [rights], which is regrettable, but we're not delaying our flights for people who are stuck in passport control queues," he stated. He advised travelers to arrive at airports earlier to ensure they reach their gate on time.
Ryanair has identified several airports as particularly problematic for EES queues, including Lisbon, Madrid, and Athens. O'Leary described waiting times of "two, three hours" at some airports as unacceptable. The airline had previously written to the governments of all 29 EES member countries, urging a suspension of the system until September to mitigate summer travel chaos. Specific concerns were raised regarding Spain, where Ryanair cited inadequate staffing and system readiness despite prior notice of the EES implementation.
Reports from airports like Alicante and Malaga highlight the strain the EES is placing on operations. A British holidaymaker reportedly missed her flight from Malaga after being delayed by the system, incurring significant additional costs. Ryanair indicated that waiting times exceeding one to two hours are common at numerous airports, including Alicante, Malaga, Lanzarote, Tenerife South, Gran Canaria, Reus, and Fuerteventura. Similar issues have been reported in Italy and France, affecting major airports in cities such as Bergamo, Malpensa, Fiumicino, Venice, Turin, Palermo, Pisa, Naples, Beauvais, Marseille, and Nantes.