EasyJet Passengers Vomit and Faint Amid Milan Airport Border Chaos
Airline passengers were left vomiting and passing out after becoming stranded at Milan Linate airport on Sunday due to border control chaos while attempting to fly home to Manchester. Approximately 100 EasyJet customers were reportedly abandoned in the Italian city while waiting to board their flight, facing three-hour queues as new European Union border rules came into effect.
Passenger Accounts of Distress and Abandonment
The airline stated the situation was 'outside of our control' and that it was trying to support passengers, but the intense heat left some customers physically ill. One passenger, Kiera, 17, traveling with her boyfriend, told the BBC that only around 30 people managed to board the plane, with 100 others left behind at the airport.
'We got here at 7.30am for our flight at 11am so were super early,' Kiera explained. 'We got to Border Control and it was a massive queue of people. I wasn't feeling great anyway because I think I'd got food poisoning.'
She described how at approximately 10.50am, water was brought over for people, and when they reached the front of the queue, someone asked if they were going to Manchester and informed them their flight had just departed. The student added that she and her boyfriend faced a 20-hour wait for another flight scheduled for Monday, costing her mother £520, but it would land at Gatwick instead of Manchester.
Inadequate Compensation and Communication Failures
Kiera revealed that EasyJet only offered her £12.25 in compensation when she emailed the airline about their situation, noting that the price of a sandwich at the airport would exceed what the airline could provide. Another passenger, Adam Lomas, 33, holidaying in Milan with his wife Katy, 33, and their baby daughter, said he attempted to contact the airline but could not reach a human operator.
'Only chatbots who hung up on me after five or 10 minutes because there were audio issues and they couldn't hear me,' Lomas stated. His family was now trying to find a hotel and book flights to London, where they would then have to take a train to Manchester. He added that EasyJet and the airport had 'spent hours arguing with each other about who is to blame.'
EU's New Entry/Exit System Blamed for Delays
The airline attributed the issues to the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES), which caused delays described as 'unacceptable.' The system requires people from third-party countries, including the UK, to have their fingerprints registered and photographs taken to enter the Schengen Area, consisting of 29 European countries, primarily in the EU.
EasyJet delayed the flight by 52 minutes to allow customers extra time, but as crew reached their safety-regulated operating hours, the flight had to depart for Manchester. The airline said it had informed customers of the new system and advised them to check travel documents, allow extra time at airports, be ready for biometric checks, and factor in additional time when planning onward travel.
An EasyJet spokesperson told the Daily Mail: 'We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control. We have been doing all possible to minimise the impact, holding flights to allow customers extra time and providing free flight transfers for any customers who may have missed their flight.'
Widespread Chaos Across European Airports
The incident follows reports of chaotic scenes and lengthy delays at airports across Europe earlier this week as the new digital border controls officially come into effect. Exasperated travelers described waiting 'for hours' at terminals in Lisbon, Milan, and Paris to clear immigration.
Former UK and EU diplomat Rupert Joy said the new system was in disarray at Lisbon airport, writing on social media: 'Complete chaos at Lisbon airport. Loads of people missing flights despite arriving hours in advance because of insanely long queues to passport control.'
In Paris, a parent traveling with a child at Charles de Gaulle airport reported: 'Absolutely ridiculous queue for passport control. I’ve been queuing for over two hours and still there’s at least a hundred people ahead of me.' At Milan's Malpensa airport, another delayed passenger fumed: 'Two hours after landing and I’m still an hour from clearing passport control.'
Ryanair CEO Accuses EU of Brexit Punishment
Controversial Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary earlier this month accused the EU of punishing British holidaymakers over Brexit by subjecting them to hours-long passport control queues. The chief executive, who backed Remain in the referendum, claimed the bloc was 'undoubtedly' forcing Britons to endure longer waits at airports as payback for leaving the EU in 2020.
Mr. O'Leary described the rollout of the new system as a 's*** show and a shambles,' noting there had been 'significant disruption' at passport control since the system was first introduced in October last year. The system is being implemented in stages, with full operation expected from April 2026, but has already caused backlogs and increased waiting times for passengers.
UK holidaymakers jetting off to Europe have been warned of up to four-hour delays at airports as countries ramp up deployment of the new border system, highlighting ongoing challenges in post-Brexit travel arrangements.
