Ryanair has issued an urgent warning regarding potential chaos at Spanish airports this summer, calling on the government to suspend the new Entry/Exit System (EES). The Irish airline has formally approached the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, requesting that the implementation of these measures be postponed until September.
The airline expressed significant concern that despite a three-year notice period leading up to the system’s full launch on 10th April 2026, Spanish authorities have failed to ensure sufficient staffing levels, system readiness, or the installation of necessary kiosks. This lack of preparation is reportedly already causing significant disruption.
According to Ryanair, passengers are currently facing passport control queues exceeding two hours at several major gateways. The airports specifically identified as suffering from these delays include Málaga, Alicante, Lanzarote, Tenerife Sur, Gran Canaria, Reus and Fuerteventura. In some instances, the combination of staffing shortages and system failures has led to passengers missing their flights.
Ryanair pointed to Greece as a positive example of a pragmatic approach, noting that the Greek government has suspended the EES until September to better manage passenger flows during the peak holiday season. The budget carrier has written to the governments of all 29 countries involved in the EES, urging them to follow suit and delay the rollout to ensure airports can operate smoothly throughout the summer months.
