Ryanair warns long passport queues

Ryanair warned passengers on May 18 to expect longer passport-control queues at some European airports this summer as the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System beds in. The airline said the new checks could lead to delays and, in some cases, missed flights for travelers departing during the peak holiday season. The warning follows the EU-wide rollout of the digital border system on April 10. Ryanair has also urged travelers to allow more time at the airport and to check flight updates before departure. ### What exactly is changing at the border? The European Commission said the Entry/Exit System, or EES, became fully operational on April 10, 2026, across Schengen countries. The system replaces manual passport stamping with digital records for non-EU nationals entering or leaving for short stays. It also records biometric data including facial images and fingerprints, along with the date and place of entry and exit. (help.ryanair.com) The EU says the system applies at the external borders of 29 European countries using EES. Ireland is outside the system, and Cyprus is also excluded from the full rollout, according to the European Commission. ### Why is Ryanair warning about queues now? Ryanair’s help center says passport-control lines may be longer while airports switch to the new system. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The airline says those delays may affect all passengers, not only non-EU nationals, as airports adjust to new checks and processes. On May 8, Ryanair said passengers traveling to and from Italy had faced hour-long passport-control queues over the May bank holiday weekend. (commission.europa.eu) In separate statements on April 30, the carrier also called on the Portuguese and French governments to suspend EES rollout until September, saying families could otherwise face long delays during the peak summer season. (help.ryanair.com) ### Which travelers are most directly affected? The EU says EES is designed for non-EU nationals traveling to the Schengen area for short stays. That means the most direct new checks fall on travelers from outside the EU who are entering or exiting participating countries for trips of up to 90 days in a 180-day period. Ryanair says airport processing changes can still spill over more broadly because passport-control bottlenecks affect overall passenger flows. (corporate.ryanair.com) The airline’s help page warns that queues may increase as airports adapt to the new procedures. ### What is Ryanair telling passengers to do? Ryanair directs passengers to monitor its travel-updates page for flight status information. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The airline says customers affected by disruptions will receive email and SMS notifications. The carrier has also already moved to lengthen some airport deadlines. On April 22, Ryanair said that from Nov. 10, 2026, check-in and bag-drop services at all its airports will close 60 minutes before scheduled departure, up from 40 minutes, to give passengers more time to get through security and passport queues. (help.ryanair.com) ### Where can travelers check the official rules? The European Commission and the EU travel portal both publish EES guidance for travelers, including where the system applies and what data is collected at the border. (ryanair.com) Ryanair also links passengers to its own EES help page, which says entry decisions are governed by EU policy rather than airline rules. (corporate.ryanair.com) April 10 remains the key date in this story because that is when the EU says EES became fully operational. Through the summer travel season, passengers flying to or from Schengen-area airports can expect airports, border agencies and airlines including Ryanair to keep updating guidance as the new system is used at scale. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu 1) (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu 2)