Family Stranded as easyJet Flight Departs Without Passengers Amid EES Chaos
A family from Leeds faced a costly ordeal after their easyJet flight left without them due to chaotic enforcement of the EU Entry-Exit System (EES) at Milan Linate airport. Max Hume, 56, his wife Lynsey, 46, and their 13-year-old son Archie were among over 100 passengers left behind, forcing them to spend over £1,600 on alternative travel arrangements.
Early Arrival and Passport Control Delays
Heeding easyJet's advice to allow ample time, the Hume family arrived at the terminal nearly three hours before their flight back to Manchester was scheduled to depart. However, upon checking in their luggage, they encountered significant delays at passport control. Despite only a handful of passengers ahead of them at 9:15 am, staff refused to process their passports because a gate had not yet been assigned for the Manchester flight.
Mr Hume reported: "The two people working there wouldn't let us through, even though there was nobody going through passport control, because the gate hadn't been released." Meanwhile, passengers booked on other non-Schengen flights to London were allowed through, with some allegedly lying about their destination to bypass the hold-up.
Biometric Bottleneck and Missed Flight
When processing finally began, frontier officials inexplicably demanded fingerprints and facial biometrics from all travellers, despite these having been collected on arrival in Italy a week earlier. EU EES rules stipulate that only one biometric should be taken on subsequent trips after initial registration.
"There were two officers and one biometric machine," Mr Hume explained. "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." By the time they cleared passport control, their flight had departed, with all missing passengers' baggage offloaded.
Costly Alternative Travel and Airline Response
At the gate, passengers were told a bus would take them to luggage collection and they would be accommodated in a hotel. However, no staff assisted at baggage reclaim, and the family was recorded as "no-shows" by easyJet. Mr Hume was offered a "rescue transfer" at £110 per person or a refund of just £19.91 for taxes, with the airline retaining the rest of the ticket cost.
Facing limited options, the family booked flights to Luxembourg, an overnight hotel, and a subsequent flight to Manchester, totaling approximately £1,600. Mr Hume stated: "One of my credit cards is now maxed out. We'll land around 11 am tomorrow, then still have to drive home. I'll miss work. I'll try to claim on insurance, but I really feel this shouldn't be an insurance job. The airline should take responsibility."
Of the 156 passengers booked on easyJet flight 5420 to Manchester, only 34 boarded, leaving 122 behind. At least one other family was on the same Luxair flight to Luxembourg. EasyJet expressed regret, stating: "We are sorry for any inconvenience caused." The airline has been holding flights to allow extra time and offering free transfers, but urged border authorities to use EES flexibilities to avoid delays.
Broader Implications and Industry Concerns
This incident highlights ongoing issues with EES implementation, which began fully on Friday. Airlines for Europe, a Brussels-based trade association, has demanded that border control authorities suspend the EES when waiting times become excessive. The inconsistent enforcement has led to travel disruptions, with passengers bearing the financial and logistical burdens.
The Independent has sought comments from the European Commission, the Department for Transport, the Foreign Office, Linate airport, and the Milan Border Police regarding the chaos. As travel resumes post-pandemic, such incidents underscore the need for smoother border processes to prevent further passenger distress and financial loss.
