Overview
- A Ryanair flight from Toulouse-Blagnac to London Stansted on May 30 departed without a number of booked passengers after long waits at border control prevented them reaching the gate.
- Ryanair told reporters that border control staff shortages at Toulouse caused the delays and that all passengers who reached the gate were accommodated and flew as scheduled.
- Multiple travellers described the border area as disorganised with large crowds, people pushing, and no clear prioritisation for families or vulnerable passengers, with one pilot reportedly announcing about 150 missing passengers.
- The UK Civil Aviation Authority says airlines are unlikely to be required to compensate passengers who miss flights because of airport queueing, shifting immediate responsibility to airport and border authorities.
- The incident fits a pattern of slower processing since the EU Entry/Exit System rollout on April 10, which adds biometric registration and has increased processing time at busy Schengen checkpoints as travel demand rises.