EasyJet passengers left stranded in Milan as new EU biometric checks trigger travel chaos

What was meant to be a routine departure from Milan turned into an unexpected and costly ordeal for more than 120 EasyJet passengers, after new EU biometric border controls brought operations at Milan Linate Airport to a grinding slowdown.

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One traveller ended up spending four extra days in the city after missing her flight back to Manchester — a disruption that is now raising serious questions about how Europe’s new border system is being rolled out.

A normal flight turns into a four-day delay

The incident unfolded on Sunday, 13 April, during the early phase of the European Union’s new Entry Exit System, which requires non-EU travellers to provide biometric data such as fingerprints and facial scans.

At the centre of the disruption was an EasyJet flight from Milan to Manchester. While the aircraft eventually departed, it left with dozens of empty seats as more than half the booked passengers were still stuck in border control queues.

Some travellers had arrived at the airport hours before departure, expecting the usual passport check process. Instead, they were met with long delays that made boarding impossible.

Three-hour queues and mounting frustration

Passengers reported waiting up to three hours at non-Schengen passport control points inside Milan Linate Airport, where border officers were required to collect and process biometric data for non-EU nationals, including UK travellers.

The slow-moving queues meant even early arrivals struggled to reach the departure gate in time. As boarding closed, many were still trapped in immigration processing areas.

Eyewitness accounts also described distress in the crowded terminal, with some passengers reportedly feeling unwell as the queues stretched on with little movement.

One traveller stuck in Milan for four days

Among those affected was a UK-bound EasyJet passenger who found herself stranded in Milan for four additional days after missing her flight.

With limited last-minute options available, she struggled to find affordable alternatives and had to absorb extra costs for accommodation, meals, and rebooking before finally securing a return journey.

Her experience has become a stark example of how border control delays — not airline issues — can still completely derail travel plans.

What caused the airport bottleneck?

The disruption is linked to the rollout of the EU’s Entry Exit System, which officially entered full operation on 10 April across Schengen Area external borders.

The system is designed to digitally record entries and exits of non-EU visitors and improve tracking of short-stay travel. However, the first-time registration process is significantly slower, requiring biometric scans and additional verification steps.

At Milan Linate, the sudden volume of passengers needing processing quickly overwhelmed available border infrastructure.

Airlines caught in the middle of border delays

While EasyJet operated its flight as scheduled, airlines have little control over delays caused by immigration processing.

The airline reportedly advised passengers in advance to allow extra time for border checks, but the scale of the queues still led to widespread missed flights.

Travel analysts say the situation highlights a growing gap between airline operations and government-managed border systems — especially when new technology is introduced without sufficient capacity planning.

Questions over responsibility and compensation

The disruption has also reignited debate over passenger rights when delays are caused by border authorities rather than airlines.

Under EU rules, compensation claims are often not straightforward in cases involving external “extraordinary circumstances,” such as government-controlled checks.

EasyJet has maintained that the delays were beyond its control, pointing to the rollout phase of the new system and encouraging passengers to arrive earlier than usual.

For many travellers, however, the experience has raised concerns about who should bear the financial burden when missed flights lead to unexpected hotel stays and rebooking costs.

A warning ahead of peak travel season

The Milan incident is being viewed as an early warning sign for what could happen during the busier summer travel months.

Airports across Europe are still adapting to the new biometric system, and industry experts warn that similar delays could become more frequent if staffing and processing capacity are not improved quickly.

For now, travellers departing from airports like Milan Linate are being advised to arrive significantly earlier than usual — even if it still does not guarantee a smooth journey.

A glimpse into Europe’s new travel reality

What happened in Milan is more than just a travel delay, it reflects a wider shift in how borders are being managed across Europe.

For passengers caught in the system, like the EasyJet traveller stranded for four days, the experience was frustrating, expensive, and unexpected.

And as the EU continues refining its digital border rollout, airports may need to find a faster balance between security checks and the simple promise of getting passengers from point A to B on time.