Ryanair has warned that passport-control bottlenecks at several European airports could bite hard during the peak summer travel period, as problems with the EU’s new border checks persist. The carrier says families should expect longer waits unless authorities fix kiosk and staffing shortfalls quickly.
The source of the disruption is the European Union’s Entry/Exit System, known as EES, which went live in the Schengen area on April 10. The system requires first-time travellers to register fingerprints and a facial image; that biometric record is then retained for up to three years to speed future crossings. In practice, airlines and airports report that the rollout has created slower processing and extended queues at a number of busy hubs.
Where Ryanair sees the worst delays
Ryanair has flagged a set of recurring hotspots across the continent where slow EES processing and malfunctioning equipment are producing the most severe hold-ups.
- Lisbon (Portugal)
- Tenerife South (Spain)
- Madrid (Spain)
- Lanzarote (Spain)
- Alicante (Spain)
- Malaga (Spain)
- Milan Bergamo (Italy)
- Milan Malpensa (Italy)
- Verona (Italy)
- Paris Beauvais (France)
- Berlin (Germany)
- Cologne (Germany)
- Frankfurt Hahn (Germany)
- Krakow (Poland)
- Budapest (Hungary)
According to the airline, many of these airports still lack fully operational self-service kiosks months after EES launched. Technical faults, inadequate border staffing and limited infrastructure combine to slow both arrivals and departures, Ryanair says, increasing the risk that passengers miss flights or face long waits.
What travellers should expect and do
At affected airports, EES checks generally require travellers to have their passport scanned and to submit fingerprints and a facial scan during their first encounter with the system. Those procedures add time at border control even where equipment is working properly.
- Allow extra time at the airport—arrive earlier than usual for departures and plan for possible delays on arrival.
- Have passports ready and accessible; follow border-staff instructions to speed biometric checks.
- For families, keep documents for children and infants organised to minimise pauses at kiosks.
- Check your airline’s updates and airport advisories before travelling for real-time information.
Ryanair’s chief operations officer said the current situation means passengers are bearing the brunt of an imperfect rollout and urged EU authorities to extend the transitional EES flexibilities so airports can repair equipment, boost staffing and complete necessary upgrades. The airline is calling for those flexibilities to be extended into early 2027.
Separately, some European governments and airport groups have asked the European Commission to suspend enforcement of the digital checks until September to avoid the worst of the summer disruption. The Commission has been under growing pressure to balance the policy’s security and migration-management goals against the operational strain on frontline border services.
For now, the immediate consequence for summer travellers is clear: if you are flying to or transiting through one of the named airports, expect the possibility of lengthy passport-control waits and plan your itinerary accordingly. How quickly the situation improves will depend on whether authorities can repair malfunctioning kiosks, increase staffing and smooth the EES operating process before peak travel volumes arrive.
Hi, I’m Benjamin, a member of the Sherburne County Citizen team. With a passion for writing and a deep interest in current affairs, I thoroughly enjoy bringing you the latest news and trends that affect our daily lives.
