Passengers flying with Ryanair from Greece to the UK were left behind as the flight departed without them. The incident occurred on a flight from Athens to London Luton, where approximately 20 to 50 passengers were not allowed to board.
Ryanair attributed the situation to border delays, while the airport cited congestion due to additional processing requirements as the cause. Witnesses described chaotic scenes at security and passport control, with long queues and frustrated passengers. Airport officials stepped in to manage the situation after some passengers expressed dissatisfaction.
The airport spokesperson explained that high passenger volumes and increased processing requirements for non-Schengen destinations led to congestion at passport control, resulting in delays. This aligns with similar challenges faced by many European airports implementing new border control procedures.
In response to the incident, a passenger criticized Ryanair on Twitter for leaving passengers behind, labeling it as disgraceful. Ryanair defended its actions, stating that delays caused by border control at the Athens airport led to some passengers missing the boarding time. However, all passengers present at the gate boarded the flight smoothly.
In other news, Greece has reversed its decision to exempt British travelers from the EU’s new biometric border checks. British visitors will now undergo the same Entry/Exit System (EES) registration as other non-EU travelers. The Greek Foreign Ministry clarified that there are no temporary exemptions based on specific nationalities.
The change affects all non-EU travelers passing through biometric scanners, not just UK passport holders. Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni emphasized the government’s efforts to ensure a streamlined process for visitors, pledging to fast-track Brits through the system with entry and exit taking only a minute.
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