EasyJet Passengers Describe EU Border ‘Nightmare’
Over 100 travelers missed their flight from Milan’s Linate airport to Manchester on Sunday, trapped in what EasyJet called “unacceptable” passport control queues linked to the EU’s new European Entry-Exit System (EES). The system, which began full operation on Friday, requires third-country nationals—including Britons—to submit biometric data, such as facial scans and fingerprints, upon entry to the Schengen free travel zone and again when exiting. These checks led to delays so severe that some passengers experienced extreme stress, with reports of vomiting and fainting during the process.
“It was just horrible,” said Carol Boon, a 59-year-old from Staffordshire, who had traveled to Milan with five others for a long weekend getaway. She described the situation as “very stressful; people arguing, someone fainted, someone was sick,” while waiting for a flight to Gatwick. Boon also mentioned she had paid for an apartment in the city to stay until her return on Tuesday, but the ordeal left her frustrated.
Max Hume, 56, from Leeds, faced similar challenges. He recounted spending more than £1,800 to arrange an alternative route through Luxembourg, enabling a quicker return to the UK. “EasyJet offered us £19 and a flight on Thursday,” he said, “but we would have had to pay £300.” The airline apologized, stating the delays were “outside of our control” and that they had provided “free flight transfers” to affected passengers.
European airports and airlines reported significant operational disruptions since the EES launched. According to ACI Europe and A4E, the average wait time at border control during peak hours reached two to three hours, with one instance where the departure gate closed before anyone arrived. Only 12 passengers showed up 90 minutes later. Previously, authorities could suspend the system entirely if delays became excessive, but now partial suspensions are the only option, prompting calls for more flexibility ahead of summer travel.
“How much time can you leave to wait in a queue and be told to wait?” questioned Adam Hoijard, a resident of Wirral. His family had arrived three hours early but spent hours in line before people “freaked out and feeling sick.” Hoijard added that his five-year-old son was “lying in bed crying” after the incident, which followed a trip to celebrate his mother-in-law’s 60th birthday.
Joy Oliver, who runs Laura’s Travel Village in Sale, Greater Manchester, shared her experience of arriving at Linate airport three hours before her scheduled departure. She described the border control chaos as “absolute carnage” and had to rebook a flight to Edinburgh. Her family now faces the task of collecting two cars from Manchester Airport while she and her husband search for a way back to Lancaster.
