Passengers experienced a nightmare travel ordeal in Milan on Sunday as delays at border control left many vomiting and fainting while attempting to return home.
Approximately 100 EasyJet travelers found themselves stranded at Linate Airport, unable to board their flight to Manchester. The disruption was attributed to lengthy three-hour queues, a result of newly implemented EU border regulations.
EasyJet described the scenario as being beyond their control but assured they were doing everything possible to assist those affected. Unfortunately, the sweltering heat led to some passengers falling ill, with instances of vomiting and fainting reported.
One traveler recounted her experience, noting that only about 30 individuals managed to board the aircraft, leaving the majority behind at the airport.
Seventeen-year-old Kiera shared her story with the BBC, explaining, “We arrived at 7:30 am for our 11 am flight, thinking we were early.”
“Upon reaching Border Control, we faced an enormous queue. I already felt unwell, possibly due to food poisoning,” she added.
‘At about 10.50am they brought some water over for people, and when we got to the front of the queue someone asked us if we were going to Manchester, and told us our flight had just gone.’
The student added that she and her boyfriend faced a 20-hour wait for another flight which they would have to get on Monday, costing her mother £520 – but it will land at Gatwick instead of Manchester.
Passengers left behind in Milan Airport yesterday due to border control chaos
Kiera said Easyjet only offered her £12.25 in compensation when she emailed the airline about their situation, adding that the price of a sandwich at the airport would cost more than the airline could provide.
Adam Lomas, 33, was holidaying in Milan with his wife Katy, 33, and their baby daughter when they became stranded at the airport.
He said he attempted to contact the airline but could not get through to a human operator – only chatbots who ‘hung up’ on him after ‘five or 10 minutes’ because there were ‘audio issues and they couldn’t hear me’.
The 33-year-old said his family were now trying to a find a hotel and book a flights to London, where they would then have to get the train to Manchester.
He added that Easyjet and the airport had ‘spent hours arguing with each other about who is to blame’.
But the airline said issues with the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) had caused the delays, which it added were were ‘unacceptable’.
The system involves people from third-party countries such as the UK having their fingerprints registered and photograph taken to enter the Schengen Area, which consists of 29 European countries, mainly in the EU.
The Daily Mail understands that Easyjet delayed the flight by 52 minutes to allow customers extra time but as crew reached their safety regulated operating hours the flight had to depart for Manchester.
The airline said it informed customers of the new system and advised them to check their travel documents, allow extra time at airports, be ready for biometric checks, and factor extra time when planning onward travel.
The new biometric Entry Exit System machines at Malaga Airport in Spain
They are also being encouraged to arrive early, clear security as soon as possible and head to the gate when called.
An Easyjet spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘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 EES 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.’
It comes after tourists reported chaotic scenes and lengthy delays at airports across Europe earlier this week as the new digital border controls officially come into effect – with exasperated travellers saying they had been forced to wait ‘for hours’ at terminals, including in Lisbon, Milan and Paris, to clear immigration.
Two travellers at Lisbon airport were amongst those facing a long wait at passport control.
Ex-UK and EU diplomat Rupert Joy said the new system was in disarray in the Portuguese capital’s major transport hub.
He wrote on social media platform X: ‘Complete chaos at Lisbon airport. Loads of people missing flights despite arriving hours in advance because of insanely long queues to passport control. No one seems to be in control or to have any idea what to do.’
Another traveller said he’d experienced a similar scenario, writing: ‘Having the machines at the start of the queue before going through passport control just caused a massive queue leaving Lisbon.’
Ryanair chief executive Michale O’Leary (pictured) described the rollout of the new system as a s*** show and a shambles’
Over in Paris, a parent travelling with a child, believed to be at Charles de Gaulle airport wrote: ‘Absolutely ridiculous queue for passport control. EU passport with a child under 12, I’ve been queuing for over two hours and still there’s at least a hundred people ahead of me.’
At Milan’s Malpensa airport, it was a similar scenario. ‘Two hours after landing and I’m still an hour from clearing passport control. Good job. Good try,’ another delayed passenger fumed.
Controversial Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary earlier this month accused the EU of punishing British holidaymakers over Brexit by subjecting them to hours long passport control queues.
The chief executive, who backed Remain in the referendum, claimed the bloc was ‘undoubtedly’ forcing Britons to endure longer waits at airports as payback for leaving the EU in 2020.
UK holidaymakers jetting off to Europe have been warned of up to four-hour delays at airports as countries are ramping up the deployment of a new border system.
Mr O’Leary said there had been ‘significant disruption’ at passport control since the new system was first introduced in October last year.
The system is being introduced in stages, with full operation expected from April 2026, but has already caused backlogs and increased waiting times for passengers.
‘We are beginning to see significant disruption. That’s the next big issue. And EES has just been a s*** show and a shambles,’ the Ryanair CEO told The Times.
