Ryanair has identified 15 European airports where passengers face significant delays it blames on the EU entry-exit system: Lisbon, Tenerife South, Madrid, Lanzarote, Alicante, Malaga, Milan Bergamo, Milan Malpensa, Verona, Paris Beauvais, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt Hahn, Krakow and Budapest. Border delays generally fall outside UK261 compensation. |
LAST REVIEWED: 19 JULY 2026
KEY FACTS
- The 15 named airports: Lisbon, Tenerife South, Madrid, Lanzarote, Alicante, Malaga, Milan Bergamo, Milan Malpensa, Verona, Paris Beauvais, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt Hahn, Krakow and Budapest
- Ryanair blames the EU entry-exit system, fully rolled out in April 2026, which takes fingerprints and facial images from non-EU nationals
- The European Commission has told member states they can temporarily switch off EES checkpoints if queues become unmanageable
- Border control delays are outside airline control, so UK261 cash compensation is generally not payable, though care and rerouting duties still apply to the airline
- Separately, Spanish air traffic control delays to Ryanair flights are up 47% since 1 April year on year
Ryanair has warned holidaymakers to expect lengthy queues at 15 popular European airports this summer, blaming the EU's entry-exit system for long passport queues that it says continue to create disruption months after introduction. The airports named are Lisbon, Tenerife South, Madrid, Lanzarote, Alicante, Malaga, Milan Bergamo, Milan Malpensa, Verona, Paris Beauvais, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt Hahn, Krakow and Budapest, a list that covers many of the most heavily used routes from the UK.
The entry-exit system, rolled out in full in April this year, requires non-EU nationals, including UK passport holders, to submit biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images when entering the Schengen area. First registrations take longest, and when several delayed flights arrive together, queues can build rapidly. Ryanair says passengers have been missing flights because of processing times, and has asked the European Commission to suspend the system at the most exposed airports until at least September. Airlines for Europe and Airports Council International have separately urged the Commission to pause the rollout through the peak summer months. The Commission has reminded member states that they can temporarily switch off EES checkpoints where queues become unmanageable, and some airports have redeployed staff and extended border booth opening hours.
The compensation position matters for anyone caught up in it. Under UK261, cash compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight is payable only where the cause is within the airline's control. Border control queues, like air traffic control restrictions and weather, count as extraordinary circumstances, so a delay caused by EES processing does not normally generate a compensation payment. What passengers keep regardless of cause is the right to care: for qualifying delays the airline must provide meals and refreshments appropriate to the wait, and where a flight is cancelled or a passenger is denied boarding, rerouting or a refund plus assistance. A passenger who misses a flight because of a border queue while airside is in a weaker position and depends on the airline's goodwill and its missed departure policies, which is why carriers and airports are urging travellers to arrive up to three hours before departure at the affected airports.
Travel insurance can respond where UK261 does not. Missed departure cover, included in many policies, pays limited amounts where a passenger arrives at the airport on time but misses the flight due to circumstances beyond their control, though wording varies and queues at the destination on arrival are not covered by anything. Delay benefit sections typically pay a fixed sum per full 12 hours of delay with proof from the airline.
Ryanair's EES warning lands amid a wider summer of European air disruption. The airline said this month that delays to its flights caused by Spanish air traffic control have risen 47% since 1 April compared with the same period last year, and it has renewed criticism of the European Commission over continental air traffic control reform after a French Senate report found French delays running around 60% above 2019 levels. With European short-haul traffic at or above pre-pandemic volumes, there is little slack in the system when problems arise.
Practical steps for travellers using the 15 airports this summer: allow substantially more time for departure formalities, complete any available EES pre-registration where offered, carry proof of onward travel and accommodation to speed checks, and keep receipts for expenses during long delays in case a claim against the airline or an insurer becomes possible.
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Disclaimer
This article is for general information only and reflects sources available at the time of the last review date shown above. It is not financial, legal or travel advice. Details can change quickly during live incidents; always confirm the current position with the official body concerned before acting.
Which airports has Ryanair warned about?
Lisbon, Tenerife South, Madrid, Lanzarote, Alicante, Malaga, Milan Bergamo, Milan Malpensa, Verona, Paris Beauvais, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt Hahn, Krakow and Budapest.
What is the EU entry-exit system?
EES is the EU border system fully rolled out in April 2026 that records fingerprints and facial images from non-EU nationals, including UK passport holders, entering the Schengen area. First-time registration takes the longest.
Can passengers claim compensation for EES border delays?
Generally not under UK261, because border control queues are outside the airline's control and count as extraordinary circumstances. Airlines must still provide care such as meals during qualifying delays, and rerouting or refunds for cancellations.
What if a passenger misses a flight because of border queues?
UK261 does not cover missed flights caused by border processing. Missed departure cover in travel insurance may pay limited amounts, and some airlines apply discretionary missed departure policies. Arriving up to three hours early is advised at the affected airports.
Are these delays likely to continue all summer?
Analysts expect disruption at the named airports to persist through at least late August given peak traffic volumes, although the European Commission has said member states can temporarily switch off EES checkpoints when queues become unmanageable.
