Ryanair wants to extend exemption from the EU’s new border system

The exemption expired on 6 September. According to Ryanair, airlines, airports and industry organisations have long warned that the introduction of EES could lead to longer processing times at border controls.

During the summer, waiting times at several European airports reportedly reached two to three hours, including in Kraków, Lisbon, Milan and Rome.

EES means that travellers from countries outside the EU and Schengen area must be registered digitally when entering and leaving, including through the registration of biometric data. The system is intended to replace the manual stamping of passports.

Ryanair says that the problems are partly due to technical issues with self-service kiosks and staff shortages at border controls. The airline therefore wants the European Commission to extend the exemption until at least April 2027, giving airports and border authorities more time to increase staffing and resolve technical problems.

- The EU's handling of EES has been a fiasco from start to finish, says Ryanair's chief operations officer Neal McMahon.

He believes that airlines and airports have warned about the problems without being heard, and that passengers are now paying the price through longer waiting times at the border.

Ryanair’s demand comes as the EU’s new border system is gradually introduced at airports across Europe. For the aviation industry, the issue is particularly important because longer border checks may have knock-on effects on airport capacity and airline schedules, especially during periods of high demand.