Europe13 April, 20261 min read
EasyJet Abandons 122 Passengers At Milan Airport Due To EU Border System Delays
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Around 100 EasyJet passengers stranded at Milan Linate after Manchester flight departed without them. EU entry-exit system (EES) border checks caused massive delays and long passport queues.
EasyJet Abandons 122 Passengers
EasyJet left 122 passengers stranded at Milan Linate Airport after the EU's new Entry-Exit System caused unprecedented border control delays. Of the 156 passengers booked, only 34 boarded before the plane departed nearly an hour late. Passengers had arrived up to three and a half hours before departure but were held up because the gate had not been assigned and biometric checks were required for every traveler.
Max Hume told the BBC he had been forced to spend £1,800 to get home via Luxembourg. EasyJet blamed unprecedented border processing delays beyond airline control. The EU system became fully operational on April 10 after a phased rollout starting in October 2025.
Passengers Describe Chaos and Suffering
Passengers described chaotic scenes as they waited in queues of up to three hours. Kiera, 17, said only 30 people were able to board before the flight took off without them. Adam Lomas was stranded with his wife and four-month-old daughter.
Vicky Chapman said they were totally refused entry through passport control and then told they were no shows. The Foreign Office warned travelers to expect longer waits as the new system replaces manual passport stamping.
EasyJet's Response and Legal Implications
EasyJet offered free flight transfers but some were forced to pay thousands to get home sooner. The Hume family spent over £1,600 booking a connecting route via Luxembourg.
EasyJet's live chat told passengers that passport control delays were not the airline's responsibility. The Association of British Insurers warned that standard travel insurance is unlikely to cover losses caused by EES-related delays.