British holidaymakers stranded at airports (again) as new EU border checks lead to delays boarding

Frustrated passengers across Europe are facing a summer of uncertainty after hundreds of passengers were recently left behind at departure gates. Again! Technical failures and staffing shortages linked to the new European Entry-Exit System (EES) have turned routine trips into expensive nightmares, with budget airlines refusing to wait for those stuck in passport queues.

Chaos at Milan airports

Manchester-bound voyagers at Milan Bergamo found themselves abandoned in the departures lounge last week following what has been described as a total breakdown at border control. Ryanair confirmed that a group of passengers missed their flight on April 16 due to “passport control delays,” though eyewitnesses suggest the scale was larger than the airline admitted.

There were reported to be plenty of empty seats on the aircraft while roughly 80 people watched their plane depart from the terminal windows. Similar heartbreak occurred at Milan Linate earlier this month, where EasyJet passengers endured four-hour waits in stifling conditions. Reports emerged of travellers fainting or becoming physically ill before being told they had missed their boarding window.

Security Breach at Marseille

Dozens of holidaymakers at Marseille-Provence Airport experienced a similar disaster this past weekend when a flight to Marrakech departed without 80 ticketed passengers. Staffing shortages at French border desks resulted in massive bottlenecks, causing tensions to boil over as the 10.30pm service was delayed into the early hours of the morning.

Airport authorities eventually declared a security incident after desperate travellers attempted to force their way through checkpoints to reach their gate. Despite the three-hour delay, the pilot eventually took off at 1.50am to meet “operational requirements” regarding crew rest and aircraft positioning, leaving the passengers stranded in the terminal.

Impact of the Entry-Exit System

Digital border checks are at the heart of these disruptions, following the full implementation of the EES on April 10. The new scheme requires non-EU citizens, including British passport holders, to submit biometric data such as face scans and fingerprints. While the European Commission insists the system is “working very well,” they conceded that “technical issues” have plagued certain member states during the initial rollout.

Families are now bearing the financial brunt of these systemic failures. Passengers at Milan Bergamo were reportedly forced to pay up to €2,000 for a replacement flight for alternative transport after around 70 of them were left behind. Insurance providers frequently refuse to cover these incidents, leaving Britons to navigate a confusing landscape of missed connections and unexpected costs.

Greece has just announced the potential end of the line for the flawed system, declaring that British passengers this Summer will be able to return to just using their passports like before, and not being forced to enter their data into the new EES machines.