Dozens of Ryanair passengers were left stranded in Athens after their flight to London Luton departed without them, highlighting growing concerns about border control delays at European airports during the busy summer travel season.
The incident occurred at Athens International Airport on Sunday, where between 20 and 50 passengers reportedly missed their Ryanair flight after becoming caught in lengthy passport control queues before departure.
The disruption has renewed scrutiny of border processing procedures and raised questions about the impact of the European Union’s new Entry Exit System.
Passengers Miss Flight After Lengthy Queues
According to reports, affected travelers had completed check-in and reached the airport in time for their flight but were delayed while passing through passport control.
The aircraft subsequently departed for London Luton without the passengers, leaving many stranded in Greece and facing unexpected travel disruptions.
The incident comes during a period of high passenger volumes across Europe as millions of travelers head abroad for summer holidays.
Ryanair Points To Border Delays
Ryanair attributed the situation to delays at border control, suggesting that congestion outside the airline’s control contributed to passengers missing the departure.
Ryanair has been among the most vocal critics of the rollout and has repeatedly called on European authorities to delay the implementation of EES until airports, border agencies and technology systems are fully prepared. The airline has warned for several years that insufficient preparation could lead to longer queues, missed flights and operational disruption across Europe.
The carrier previously urged the European Union to postpone implementation deadlines, arguing that infrastructure and staffing levels at some airports were not ready to handle the new procedures efficiently.
Meanwhile, Athens International Airport acknowledged experiencing congestion linked to additional processing requirements but stopped short of directly linking the delays to the EU’s Entry Exit System.
The situation is further complicated by conflicting messages from Greek authorities regarding how British visitors would be processed this summer.
Earlier this year, Greece’s tourism minister, Olga Kefalogianni, stated that British travelers would not face biometric checks or excessive bureaucracy when visiting the country during the summer season.
However, subsequent statements from the Greek Foreign Ministry reportedly challenged those assurances, creating uncertainty over whether any exemptions or special arrangements would apply to UK passengers.
