EasyJet passengers stranded

More than 100 easyJet passengers were left behind at Milan Linate on April 12 after new European Union border checks created hours-long queues at passport control. (telegraph.co.uk) EasyJet’s Milan-to-Manchester flight departed with only 34 of 156 booked passengers on board, according to multiple reports, after travelers said they had been waiting about three hours to clear the border. Some passengers told British outlets people fainted or vomited in the terminal while the line stalled. (cntravellerme.com) (telegraph.co.uk) EasyJet said the disruption was caused by delays in Entry/Exit System processing by border authorities at Milan Linate and called the waits “unacceptable” and outside the airline’s control. Passenger accounts published by Yahoo and local reports said some families then had to pay for hotels or new tickets after being marked as no-shows. (telegraph.co.uk) (uk.news.yahoo.com) The Entry/Exit System is the European Union’s new digital border database for non-European Union travelers on short stays. It records passport details, fingerprints, facial images, and the time and place of entry and exit, replacing manual passport stamps. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The European Commission says the system became fully operational on April 10, 2026, after a phased rollout that began on October 12, 2025. France’s foreign ministry says travelers do not need to apply in advance for the Entry/Exit System, but first-time users must provide biometric data at the border. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) (diplomatie.gouv.fr) The Milan incident came within days of full implementation, and Milan was not the only airport reporting delays. The Telegraph and other travel reports said long queues were also reported in Lisbon and Paris as airports handled the first weekend under the new checks. (telegraph.co.uk) (travelradar.aero) The system is meant to help border authorities automatically detect overstays and record refusals of entry across 29 European countries using the scheme. That same automation adds extra steps at the checkpoint, especially when passengers are being enrolled for the first time. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) (travel-europe.europa.eu) Another European travel change is still ahead. France’s foreign ministry says the separate European Travel Information and Authorisation System, an online pre-trip authorization similar to the United States ESTA, is expected in the last quarter of 2026. (diplomatie.gouv.fr) For now, the practical change is simple: travelers who used to budget for security and a passport stamp now may need extra time for fingerprints, a facial scan, and a slower first pass through border control. Milan showed what happens when that processing backs up faster than an airport can absorb it. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) (cntravellerme.com)