Ryanair Flight Leaves 20-50 Passengers in Athens as Border Delays Snarl Luton Departure
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 17
Ryanair Flight Leaves 20-50 Passengers in Athens as Border Delays Snarl Luton Departure
1 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 17
Summary
20 to 50 passengers missed a Ryanair flight from Athens to London Luton on Sunday after long passport-control queues, with some pleading at the gate as the aircraft departed without them.
Ryanair blamed border-control delays, while Athens airport cited high passenger volumes and extra processing for non-Schengen travel, saying congestion has hit some routes as new procedures are rolled out.
The flight still left about an hour late after missing its air-traffic-control slot and unloading bags from stranded passengers, while airport authorities intervened as tempers flared.
Several hundred people were reportedly stuck in security and passport lines in stifling heat, and another traveler told the BBC she faced an hour-long passport queue at Athens the next day.
The disruption adds to wider concern over post-Brexit border checks: about 100 EasyJet passengers were stranded in Milan in April, and Wizz Air has urged British travelers to arrive three hours early.