Airport chaos as easyJet passengers headed to Manchester stranded

Passport control delays meant passengers missed the Manchester-bound flight(Image: @Emily_Benn20)

Hundreds of passengers found themselves stranded at a Milan airport amid border control chaos after an easyJet flight back to Manchester departed without them on Sunday (April 12).

Approximately 100 passengers who were due to board the 11am flight back to Manchester Airport were left abandoned at Milan Linate airport due to border control checks. Images and footage circulating online captured scenes of pandemonium as lengthy queues snaked through the international airport.

The disruption follows the UK government updating its travel guidance for those heading to the European Schengen area, which may now require travellers to register their biometric details upon arrival. The EU entry and exit system (EES) is an electronic system designed to replace the physical stamping of passports at border control.

Massive queues resulted in scores of passengers being left behind as flights departed without them, including the easyJet service bound for Manchester. The airline confirmed it had held the aircraft for nearly an hour beyond its scheduled departure time, but was ultimately forced to leave due to restrictions on crew working hours. In a statement to the M.E.N, easyJet confirmed that affected passengers have been offered a 'free flight transfer', while urging travellers to allow extra time at the airport due to increased waiting times. The airline has also condemned the EES delays experienced by passengers as 'unacceptable', reports the Manchester Evening News.

Emily Benn, from Grimsby, was part of a group of six passengers scheduled to board the 11am flight back to Manchester. The group are now travelling into Gatwick and will subsequently spend £400 on a taxi back to their vehicle at Manchester Airport. She told the M.E.N: "We got to the airport at 8am and our flight was due to leave Milan Linate at 11am.

"As soon as our gate came on the board, we went straight to it and there was already a huge queue. The queue was for three separate flights, and there were hundreds of passengers all trying to get through. The new EES wasn't working, so we all had to be checked by two people on passport control.

"It got to 11:20am and we were told the flight had left without us. They put us all on a shuttle bus and sent us back to the arrivals area, where we had to go back to the easyJet desk. We were told to rebook flights, so have booked to Gatwick and will then pay £400 for a taxi back to Manchester as that's where our car is parked. We are a party of five adults and one child, who is due to have spinal surgery in a few days." In a separate post on X, one passenger shared: "The 11am from Milan Linate to Manchester left without half the plane! Immigration queue for 1h 30mins. Then got escorted out of the airport and told that the plane had left without us. Had to pay for a hotel and fly to London Gatwick instead of Manchester.

"What a nightmare!" another traveller posted. "You abandoned me and 122 other passengers in Milan. You flew to Manchester with 34 onboard. We queued for three hours and all the time the flight info remained at 'boarding' we were then told the delayed flight had left."

An easyJet spokesperson commented: "We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control and we advised customers due to fly to allow additional time to make their way through the airport.

"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." According to the Gov.uk website, passengers travelling to a Schengen area country for a short stay on a UK passport may be required to submit biometric details, including fingerprints and a photograph, upon entry. Travellers are not required to take any additional steps and EES registration carries no charge.

"EES registration is replacing the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU," it stated. "EES may take each passenger extra time to complete so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border."