Ryanair Sounds Alarm Over EU Border System, Warns Passengers Face Hours-Long Airport Queues

Ryanair has issued an urgent warning about widespread disruption at European airports, calling on Brussels to suspend the newly launched Entry/Exit System (EES) after passengers reported immigration delays stretching to five hours or longer.

Europe's largest low-cost carrier says the biometric border system, which became fully operational across the Schengen area in April, 2026, has triggered what it describes as "queue chaos" at some of the continent's busiest travel hubs. The airline claims the technology is unfit for purpose and is pushing wait times to a breaking point during the peak summer travel season. 

Ryanair is not alone: British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, and easyJet have all formally joined calls for a temporary suspension of the system during peak summer travel. The European Commission has since called an emergency meeting with airlines and airports following the growing disruption.

What the New System Does

The Entry/Exit System replaces the traditional passport stamping process for non-EU travelers entering the Schengen zone. Instead of an ink stamp, border officials now register passengers electronically, capturing fingerprints and facial images alongside travel document details. The system applies to visitors from countries outside the bloc, including travelers from the United Kingdom, United States, and other non-EU nations.

Ryanair has noted that delays may affect all passengers, not just non-EU nationals – as airports adjust to the new checks and processes. Brussels designed the platform to strengthen border security, track overstays, and modernize what officials have long considered an outdated manual process.

Ryanair's Position

Ryanair argues that the system, however well intentioned, is failing in practice. Airports including Tenerife South, Palma, Alicante, Malaga, Milan Bergamo, Krakow, and Paris Beauvais have been specifically identified by the airline as experiencing major disruption, with further congestion expected as peak summer weeks get underway.

Ryanair Chief Operations Officer Neal McMahon was direct in his assessment: 

As schools break up and Europe enters the busiest travel period of the year, it is clear that EES is still not ready for peak summer volumes. Passengers and families should not be used as guinea pigs for a half-baked passport control system that risks creating long queues, missed flights, and unnecessary stress at airports this summer.

The carrier is calling on the European Commission to suspend the rollout until September, noting that EU law permits individual countries to do so. Poland, Germany, Spain, Iceland, Hungary, France, Italy, and Portugal have all backed calls to delay or ease the rollout during peak summer travel. Greece has already taken that step, suspending EES implementation until after the summer travel rush.

Impact on Travelers

If you are planning to travel to Europe from a non-EU country, the new system means you should expect additional time at the border on your first entry. Registration involves biometric capture, which takes longer than a conventional passport check. 

Airports across the Schengen area have installed self-service kiosks intended to speed up the process, but reports suggest that many facilities are still working through technical issues, staff training gaps, and passenger confusion about how to use the equipment.

The disruption comes at a particularly difficult moment for European aviation, which is contending with strong summer demand, ongoing air traffic control staffing shortages, and repeated industrial action across several countries.

What Happens Next

The European Commission has so far defended the Entry/Exit System, arguing that short-term difficulties are outweighed by long-term security benefits. Officials have acknowledged early problems but stopped short of committing to any pause or rollback, though the emergency meeting with airlines and airports signals that pressure on Brussels is intensifying.

For Ryanair, the fight is likely to continue. Whether Brussels responds with concessions or holds firm will determine whether European travelers face a summer of queues or a last-minute reprieve.

In the meantime, if you are flying into or out of Europe this summer, you should arrive at the airport earlier than usual, check your airline's guidance on border processing, and prepare for the possibility of longer waits than you may have experienced in previous years.