Budget airline easyJet left over three-quarters of its passengers behind in Italy when they should have been on a flight from Milan Linate to Manchester on 12 April 2026. The problem has been blamed on new European border control processes—the bloc’s Entry/Exit System (EES)—which became mandatory in 29 countries just two days earlier.
Only 34 out of 156 passengers booked on the Airbus A319 made it onto the aircraft, according to data available through aeroLOPA and Flightradar24. News outlets including The Independent and the BBC have reported that the issue was the slow passenger flow through Milan Airport as the hub struggles to implement EES requirements.
@easyJet our flight from Milan Linate took off without us due to Border Control being FAR too busy and the automated system not working. We are now stuck in Milan, missing work, spending money that we don’t have and have to transfer from Gatwick to Manchester! pic.twitter.com/XfPshK5GZK
— Miss Benn (@Emily_Benn20) April 12, 2026
Under the system, which is intended to streamline border security across the Schengen zone, visitors from third countries passing through EU border checkpoints must now first register biometric information, including a facial image, fingerprints, as well as their passport details and trip dates. This all takes time but once it is registered it is stored digitally, making subsequent border checks faster.
Air industry representatives and road associations have repeatedly expressed concerns over the impact of the EES rollout on travel as the high summer season commences. Some airports and ports, such as Dover on the UK’s south coast, Brussels Airport, and Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon, have seen huge queues develop during the trial period, and been forced to put separate lanes in place for non-EES-registered traffic, or to bring in national guards to maintain the peace as passengers face long wait times and disruption to journeys. Milan, it seems, has joined the chaos. Passengers described arriving three-and-a-half hours early yet still missing the flight, resulting in the purchase of expensive alternative tickets.
Ieri a Linate centinaia di passeggeri sono rimasti a terra a causa del malfunzionamento del nuovo sistema di controllo passaporti EES.
— Kenny Unchained (@40acresandamu) April 14, 2026
Un volo EasyJet è partito quasi vuoto.
Mentre cosiddetto Ministro Salvini era a un incontro sulla remigrazione.#governodegliorrori pic.twitter.com/jNdSxPkA6m
Commenting on the mass numbers of passengers abandoned on Sunday, an easyJet spokesperson said: “We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control and we advised customers due to fly to allow additional time to make their way through the airport.”
The airline apologised for the inconvenience its departure caused to passengers left behind, but said the situation was “outside of our control.” It said it was “doing all possible to minimise the impact of the airport queues, holding flights to allow customers extra time and providing free flight transfers for any customers who may have missed their flight including EJU5420 to Manchester.”
The carrier also called on border authorities to take advantage of EES mitigations, such as temporary suspensions, which continue to be permitted by European authorities until September, to help deal with pinch points in operations.
