120 easyJet Passengers Left Stranded At Milan Airport Due To New EU Border Check Delays

Just days after the European Union rolled out its new Entry/Exit System (EES), passengers are already feeling the impact at major airports. On Sunday, April 12, travel plans for dozens of easyJet customers unravelled at Milan's Linate Airport, where extended queues at border control prevented most passengers on a Manchester-bound flight from boarding.

What was meant to be a routine departure turned into hours of confusion, missed connections and unexpected expenses, highlighting the growing pains of the EU's new digital border checks for non-Schengen travel.

Long Queues Bring Departures To A Standstill

Passengers booked on the easyJet flight from Milan to Manchester were advised to arrive early, following reports of delays linked to the implementation of the EES. However, despite reaching the airport well in advance, many travellers found themselves stuck in border control queues for up to three hours.

Reports indicate that of the 156 passengers booked on the flight, only 34 managed to clear checks and board. The remaining 122 passengers were left behind at Linate Airport, scrambling to rearrange their journeys home. Some passengers reportedly became unwell while waiting in the heat, while others were forced to book last-minute alternative flights costing more than 1,000 pounds (approximately Rs 1,26,125).

easyJet said it was working to support affected customers but described the situation as being outside its control. The airline stated that border delays linked to the new European Entry/Exit System were "unacceptable".

One affected family, the Manchester-based Humes, shared their experience with The Independent, describing how they arrived at the departure lounge three hours before the scheduled take-off, following the airline's guidance. Despite this, they were unable to board their flight.

According to the family, they were offered a replacement flight departing five days later, at a rebooking cost of 330 pounds (around Rs 41,621), along with additional accommodation expenses. Instead, they opted to book a connecting journey via Luxembourg, spending over 1,600 pounds (approximately Rs 2,01,800), only to arrive home 24 hours later than planned.

Confusion And Delay At Passport Control

Mr Hume, a teacher from West Yorkshire, told The Independent that after checking in their luggage, the family reached passport control at around 9:15 am, with only a small number of passengers ahead of them. However, officials reportedly refused to process their documents, explaining that the flight's gate had not yet been assigned.

Meanwhile, passengers travelling on other non-Schengen flights that morning, including British Airways services to Heathrow and an easyJet flight to Gatwick, were allowed through passport control. Mr Hume said that while late-arriving passengers for those flights were waved through, those bound for Manchester continued to be held back.

When processing eventually began, travellers were asked to provide fingerprints and facial biometrics again, even though such data had reportedly been collected upon entering Italy earlier in the week. The EU entry-exit system rules stipulate that once both biometrics have been registered, only one should be taken on subsequent arrivals and departures.

Passengers also reported that only two officers and a single biometric machine were in use, despite several automated machines being available at the airport, further slowing the process.

Missed Flights And Limited Assistance

By the time passengers cleared passport control, their flight had already departed after offloading checked baggage belonging to those who were delayed. At the gate, passengers were told they would be taken to baggage reclaim and provided with accommodation, but assistance reportedly fell short.

At the easyJet desk, the Hume family said they were informed they had been marked as "no-shows" and no further help could be offered. According to Mr Hume, the airline's live chat service advised that airport processes were not the airline's responsibility and that the only option available was a paid rescue transfer costing 110 pounds per passenger.

Unwell Teenage Passenger Spends 520 Pounds On Replacement Tickets

Seventeen-year-old Kiera from Oldham described her experience to the BBC, saying she and her boyfriend arrived at the airport at 7:30 am for their 11 am flight. Despite arriving early, they encountered lengthy queues at border control.

Feeling unwell at the time, Kiera said water was only handed out shortly before departure. When they finally reached the front of the queue, they were informed that the Manchester flight had already departed.

Her family paid around 520 pounds for replacement tickets, which routed them to Gatwick instead of Manchester, requiring further travel. When Kiera contacted easyJet, she was reportedly offered 12.25 pounds in compensation.

easyJet Calls Border Delays Unacceptable

A spokesman for easyJet said: "We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control, and we advised customers due to fly to allow additional time to make their way through the airport.

"We have been doing all possible to minimise the impact of the airport queues, holding flights to allow customers extra time and providing free flight transfers for any customers who may have missed their flight, including EJU5420 to Manchester.

"We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while the European Entry / Exit System is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers.

"While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused."

The incident has fuelled concern among travellers about border processing capacity as the EES rolls out across Europe, particularly during busy travel periods.