EasyJet passengers describe EU border ‘nightmare’
EasyJet passengers describe EU border ‘nightmare’
Travelers stranded after their EasyJet flight departed without them shared accounts of a chaotic experience at EU border checkpoints, citing the new European Entry-Exit System (EES) as the cause of their ordeal. Over 100 people missed their scheduled trip to Manchester from Milan’s Linate Airport on Sunday, caught in passport queues that the airline called “unacceptable.”
Passengers Missed Flights
Several travelers reported becoming ill or fainting while undergoing biometric and facial recognition checks introduced under the EES on Friday. Carol Boon, a 59-year-old from Staffordshire, described the situation as “just horrible,” while Max Hume, 56, from Leeds, said he had to spend more than £1,800 to arrange an alternate route home.
“Even if we were there five hours before, we weren’t told the gate number until about 90 mins before, so there was nothing we could have done,” Boon said. “It was just disgusting the way they spoke to us.”
Hume recounted how the airline offered only £19 and a Thursday flight to resolve the issue, a deal he deemed insufficient. “We would have had to pay £300,” he added. EasyJet representatives acknowledged the delay but claimed it was necessary to give passengers more time, and they provided “free flight transfers to those affected.”
EU’s New Entry-Exit System
The EES now requires third-country nationals, including British citizens, to register biometric data—such as facial scans and fingerprints—upon entering the Schengen free-travel zone. Additional checks occur when they depart. ACI Europe and A4E, representing airports and airlines respectively, reported peak waiting times of two to three hours at border control.
During one incident, the departure gate at Linate Airport was empty when the flight was supposed to close. Only 12 passengers arrived 90 minutes later. Previously, border authorities could suspend the EES entirely if delays became too severe. Now, only partial suspensions are allowed, prompting calls for more flexibility ahead of the summer travel season.
Impact on Travelers
Joy Oliver, who was on holiday with her husband, described the border chaos as “absolute carnage.” She rebooked a flight to Edinburgh after waiting three hours at the airport. Her family is now tasked with picking up two cars at Manchester Airport while she seeks a way to return to Lancaster.
“How much time can you leave to wait in a queue and be told to wait?” Adam Hoijard, from Wirral, asked, recounting his family’s struggle. They arrived three hours early but spent hours in line before people “freaked out and feeling sick.” The ordeal, following his mother-in-law’s 60th birthday celebration, left his five-year-old son “lying in bed crying.”
Hoijard’s family spent £1,000 to secure a Tuesday flight to London Gatwick. Laura Featonby, owner of Laura’s Travel Village in Sale, Greater Manchester, noted that some airlines had delayed departures to accommodate passengers affected by the EES.
