Ryanair has demanded that Spain, Portugal, and Italy scrap new border rules for UK tourists, citing chaos at airports. The European Union Exit and Entry System (EES) is now being enforced at EU airports for UK holidaymakers departing from Birmingham Airport (BHX), leading to long queues and potential delays upon arrival.
Greece suspends EES after carnage
Greece, a popular holiday destination, has already lifted the restrictions after the system caused significant disruption when introduced on April 10. Ryanair, which operates flights from Birmingham alongside rivals Jet2, Easyjet, and TUI, is urging other EU nations to follow suit.
Ryanair's call for suspension
Ryanair’s chief operations officer, Neal McMahon, stated: “Governments across Europe are attempting to roll out a half-baked IT system in the middle of the busiest travel season of the year, and passengers are paying the price, being forced to endure hours-long passport control queues and in some cases, missing flights.”
He added: “The solution is simple and already provided for under EU law (EU Reg. 2025/1534) – Governments should suspend EES until September when the peak summer travel season has subsided, just as Greece has done. This would allow passengers – many of whom are travelling with young families – a smoother airport experience for their summer holidays.”
UK government warning
The Labour Party government has issued a warning: “EES registration is replacing the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU. EES may take each passenger extra time to complete, so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border.”
The system is designed to improve border security within the EU and its neighbouring countries, reduce illegal migration in the Schengen area, and automate border control checks to help the EU prevent visitors from overstaying, according to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
