Ryanair Leaves Passengers Behind Due to EES Border Delays

Ryanair passengers flying from Milan Bergamo to Manchester last week were left behind due to delays at passport control, the airline confirmed. The Entry-Exit System (EES), a new digital border control system for non-EU travelers, has been blamed for long queues at European airports. Ryanair stated that affected passengers had not presented at the boarding gate before it closed. Earlier this month, EasyJet left passengers behind in a similar incident at Milan Linate Airport. A video obtained by the BBC showed frustrated passengers waiting over an hour at the gate, with some questioning staff about the delays. The EES, which requires biometric registration for non-EU citizens, has been phased in since October and was set to become fully operational on 10 April. However, its implementation has varied across Europe. Ryanair confirmed the delays at Milan Bergamo Airport on 16 April, though the exact number of affected travelers remains unclear. One passenger reported that roughly 80 people were stranded in the passport control queue, which included travelers from multiple flights. Milan Bergamo Airport has not yet commented on the incident. The EES is managed by national border control authorities rather than airports or airlines. Adam Hassanjee, a stranded passenger, described waiting for 90 minutes before the flight departed, leaving him and others to book their own return flights. Meanwhile, a separate report highlights that Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is among the busiest European hubs for UK travelers, with delays of up to two hours reported at passport control. The UK Civil Aviation Authority data indicates that over 24.2 million passengers traveled between the UK and Europe in April and May 2025, with Schiphol handling nearly 1.48 million of those travelers. The EES rollout is expected to slow processing times as travel demand increases.