122 travellers were left stranded in Milan after an easyJet flight to Manchester departed with only 34 passengers.
The chaotic implementation of the European Union’s new entry-exit system (EES) has been causing delays across European airports and passengers scheduled to fly on the easyJet service from Milan Linate are the latest to be affected.
One of the reasons EES was introduced was to replace the need to stamp passports manually at border control, in theory making security checks quicker.
The EES registers personal details like name, travel document data, biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images), date, and place of entry and exit.
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And non-EU nationals will face the automated IT system each time they cross the external borders of 29 European countries during a short stay.
While the EU has previously warned of delays, families travelling back to Manchester arrived at the airport three hours before departure and still didn't make it onto the plane.
As reported by the Independent, a family of three from Leeds who travelled to Italy on a skiing trip, faced queues on arrival and were prevented from entering passport control because the departure gate for their easyJet flight had not yet been assigned.
Max Hume, 56, said: “There were two officers and one biometric machine. We had to do face scan, passport scan, and fingerprints. Every single person.
“But there were about 16 machines that could have been used automatically, and they didn’t open them. So everything was going at a snail’s pace.”
According to the EES website, fingerprints and face scans will be recorded the first time you use the EES system and will remain on the system.
It adds that on future occasions: "The passport control officers will only verify your fingerprints and photo, which will take less time. In rare cases, it may be necessary to collect and record your data again."
The EES system became fully operational on Friday 10 April.
By the time Max's family cleared passport control, the plane had already departed after baggage belonging to absent passengers was removed.
After missing the flight, easyJet initially offered the family a paid 'rescue transfer' of £110 per person for a flight departing five days later.
Unable to wait that long, Max and his family searched for alternatives and ended up booking a route via Luxembourg, flying from Milan to Luxembourg, staying overnight in a hotel, and then taking another flight to Manchester the next morning.
The unexpected journey cost about £1,600 and meant they arrived home roughly 24 hours later than planned.
Max was told: “The process [a] passenger needs to go through at the airport is not our responsibility and if it resulted in passengers being late to their flight, the only way we can help is through a rescue transfer.”
A spokesperson for easyJet said to LADbible: "Due to delays in EES processing by border authorities, some passengers departing from Milan Linate yesterday experienced very long waiting times at passport control.
"We held flight EJU5420 from Milan to Manchester for nearly an hour to give passengers extra time but it had to then depart due to crew reaching their safety regulated operating hours.
"Customers who missed the flight have been offered a free flight transfer.
“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."
LADbible Group has contacted the European Commission and Milano Malpensa Airport for comment.
Full list of the 29 countries that use the new EES system
The EES system is used by all EU countries in the Schengen zone of free movement, and this includes some popular holiday destinations for Brits. The affected countries are as follows:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Anish Vij