Ryanair Warns of Six-Hour Queues at 16 European Airports

Ryanair warned British travelers to expect significant queues and delays at 16 major European airports this summer, citing failures in the European Union's new Entry/Exit System (EES). The biometric process, which requires fingerprints and facial scans from non-EU visitors, has caused some passengers to face wait times of up to six hours due to malfunctioning kiosks and inadequate staffing. The airline initially identified seven hotspots but expanded the list to 16, including Lisbon, Madrid, Berlin, and Budapest.

In response to the disruption, Ryanair and Jet2 have called for the EES rollout to be suspended until after the peak summer travel season. Malta Air CEO Dave O'Brien threatened to cancel all flights to Malta because of the wait times. Ryanair's Chief Operations Officer Neal McMahon is backing calls from EU Member States to extend EES flexibilities into early 2027 to allow for necessary infrastructure and staffing improvements.

UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander met with EU officials to address the concerns of holidaymakers. Separately, the European Union has delayed the launch of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) until 2027. EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner and the agency EU-LISA attributed this delay to technical glitches, staffing shortages, and inadequate border infrastructure.