Ryanair warns of summer delays at 9 EU airports during EES rollout

Disruption overview

Ryanair says passengers should be ready for long passport control lines and flight delays during the July and August 2026 peak at 9 busy EU airports, including Tenerife South, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Málaga, Milan Bergamo, Kraków, and Paris Beauvais. The airline links the disruption to the new Entry/Exit System (EES), which adds extra biometric and identity checks for non-EU travelers, with the worst pressure expected on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Because these delays appear to be tied to border procedures and airport operations outside the airline's control, compensation is usually unlikely under EC 261, but affected passengers should still receive care and assistance and can use AirHelp's free flight checker to better understand their rights.

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Disruption details

Passengers flying with Ryanair should expect delays throughout the July and August 2026 peak at 9 busy EU airports, including Tenerife South Airport (TFS), Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI), Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC), Málaga–Costa del Sol Airport (AGP), Milan Bergamo Airport (BGY), Kraków John Paul II International Airport (KRK), and Paris Beauvais–Tillé Airport (BVA).

Ryanair says long passport control lines are already slowing journeys at some of its busiest leisure gateways. For passengers, that could mean longer waits before departure, tighter connections, and flights leaving late during the busiest weeks of the summer travel rush.

The airline says the main cause is the new Entry/Exit System (EES), introduced this year. The system requires non-EU nationals, including UK citizens, to go through extra biometric and identity checks every time they enter or leave the Schengen area.

When airports do not have enough staffed booths, automated gates are not set up properly, or signage is unclear, queues can build fast. Ryanair says waits have gone beyond 1 hour on some days, and during the school-holiday peak that can quickly lead to missed departure slots, late departures, and knock-on delays as aircraft rotations fall behind.

Ryanair says disruption is already showing at:

• Tenerife South Airport (TFS)

• Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI)

• Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC)

• Málaga–Costa del Sol Airport (AGP)

• Milan Bergamo Airport (BGY)

• Kraków John Paul II International Airport (KRK)

• Paris Beauvais–Tillé Airport (BVA)

• 2 other unnamed airports handling heavy UK and Irish holiday traffic

These airports handle large volumes of holiday traffic from the UK and Ireland, so delays are likely to be felt most on busy leisure routes. Ryanair says the pressure is strongest on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, when arrivals and departures are packed into tight waves and even a short hold-up can spread through the rest of the day.

Ryanair is urging governments to use the flexibility available in the rules and delay full EES enforcement until after the summer peak. Some states have already added border staff or opened extra lanes, but the results remain uneven. Recovery can also be harder once delays build, especially when airports are also dealing with air traffic control staffing gaps and seasonal thunderstorms. The risk could grow further as daily volumes rise into late July and early August.

If you're traveling through any of these airports in the coming weeks, it's worth giving yourself extra time. Arrive at least 3 hours before departure, go straight to security and border control, and leave more room in your plans if you have an onward connection.

Because these delays appear to be linked to border procedures and airport management rather than the airline's own operations, compensation is usually unlikely under EC 261. Even so, your airline should still provide care and assistance if you're delayed for a long time, including meals and refreshments, rebooking or a refund, and accommodation if you're stranded overnight.

Although compensation is unlikely here, that doesn't mean you're without support. It's a good idea to keep track of long wait times and hold on to receipts for extra costs in case you need them later. If you want to understand what applies to your trip, AirHelp's free flight checker is a simple place to start.

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