Ryanair has sent a letter to the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, demanding the suspension of the Entry/Exit System (EES) until September. The low cost argues that the new border control, in force since April 10, is generating queues of one to two hours in the middle of the tourist season, and that the summer is only going to worsen the problem.
What is the EES? It is about the new control system automated border crossing of the European Union for non-EU travelers. It records biometric data (fingerprint, facial image) at each entry and exit of the Schengen area. Its implementation is especially sensitive for Spain due to the high volume of British tourists, whose country no longer belongs to the EU. This system was put into operation on April 10, at the start of the high season.
The problem at airports. According to Ryanair, waits at passport controls already exceed between one and two hours at the airports of Malaga, Alicante, Lanzarote, Tenerife South, Gran Canaria, Reus and Fuerteventura. The airline attributes the delays to a lack of staff, system outages and the lack of enough kiosks to absorb traffic.
In some cases passengers are already missing flights. “Governments across Europe are trying to implement a half-baked computer system in the middle of the busiest travel season of the year, and passengers are paying the price,” counted Neal McMahon, Chief Operating Officer of Ryanair.
Criticism of the Spanish Government. Ryanair emphasizes that the Spanish authorities have known for more than three years the date of entry into force of the EES. Despite this, according to the airline, neither the staffing, nor the technical preparation of the system, nor the installation of sufficient infrastructure was guaranteed.
The request also comes at a time of strong pressure on airports, since according to According to the Airlines Association (ALA), companies have scheduled nearly 260 million seats for this summer in Spain, 5.7% more than the previous year.
Greece has already gone ahead. The country has already suspended the application of the EES until September to face the summer season without collapses at its airports. Ryanair points out that this option is contemplated in Regulation (EU) 2025/1534 and that Spain could do the same. The airline has sent the same claim to the governments of the other 28 countries integrated into the system.
It’s not just Ryanair. The EES warning is not just coming from the Irish airline. Organizations such as ACI Europe, Airlines for Europe (A4E) and IATA have already warned the European Commission of technical problems, staff shortages and limitations in automated systems. In a joint letter, they warned of what they described as “a total disconnect between the perception that the system works and the reality of passengers,” according to collect The Economist.
The president of ALA, Javier Gándara, also asked to apply the EES with flexibility to avoid “endless queues” or travelers missing their flights in the middle of the summer campaign.
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