Overview
- A Ryanair service to London Luton that departed on Saturday, June 20, 2026, left between 20 and 50 passengers behind at Athens airport.
- Ryanair said a number of travellers failed to reach the gate in time because of delays at passport control and that all passengers present at boarding travelled as scheduled.
- Athens airport reported periods of congestion in departures and said extra processing for non‑Schengen routes was slowing passenger flows, prompting staff to step in to maintain order.
- Holidaymakers quoted to the BBC described very long queues at security and passport control and scenes of distress as people pleaded to reach the gate.
- Greece has confirmed it will not exempt British nationals from the EU Entry/Exit System, and airports across Europe have warned that the new biometric checks can increase processing times and disrupt tight low‑cost carrier boarding procedures.