Key facts
- Ryanair has warned that the EU's new biometric border system will cause significant passport queue chaos.
- The budget airline urged European governments to suspend the rollout of the system until after the summer travel season.
- The new Entry/Exit system (EES) requires travelers from outside the EU to register biometric information.
- Ryanair cited Palma, Alicante, Milan, Krakow, Tenerife South, and Malaga as airports likely to face major disruptions.
- Aviation industry groups have also expressed concerns about the system's readiness and potential for disruption.
Ryanair has issued a stark warning that the European Union's new biometric border system is poised to create significant "passport queue chaos" during the upcoming summer travel season. The budget airline is calling on European governments to immediately halt the rollout of the system until after the peak travel period concludes.
According to Ryanair, the new Entry/Exit system (EES), which requires travelers from outside the EU to register biometric information upon entry into most European countries, is "not ready" to handle the large influx of passengers expected over the summer. The airline highlighted several airports, including Palma, Alicante, Milan, Krakow, Tenerife South, and Malaga, as likely to experience "major disruptions" due to the new checks.
Ryanair's chief operations officer, Neal McMahon, expressed strong criticism, stating that passengers and families should not be subjected to a "half-baked passport control system" that could lead to long queues, missed flights, and undue stress. He reiterated the call for European governments to delay implementation to protect passengers and airport operations during the busy school holiday rush.
This warning from Ryanair follows a joint open letter sent on July 1 to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen by several aviation industry groups, including ACI Europe, Airlines 4 Europe, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). These organizations echoed similar concerns, describing the situation as critical and warning of "severe operational consequences" that are placing "unsustainable pressure" on border authorities, airports, and airlines. They emphasized that the issue is not limited to major hubs but also affects smaller airports serving popular tourist destinations.