Ryanair has issued warnings after chaos at Malaga airport due to new passport controls, with passengers queuing for hours and some missing flights
Irish holidaymakers face significant delays when returning home from the Costa del Sol following their Christmas breaks.
Malaga airport has experienced severe disruption throughout the week as passengers attempt to depart, following the introduction of the new EES – entry and exit system – for travellers heading to destinations such as Ireland and Britain, which lie outside the Schengen area.
Numerous passengers have been queuing for hours and have missed their flights as a result.
Ryanair has now issued an alert to all customers flying from Malaga and other Spanish airports, urging them to arrive early and proceed through border control as swiftly as possible.
The airline stated: “Please be advised that longer queues are being recorded at passenger control at Spanish airports due to the introduction of the EES for passengers travelling outside the Schengen area.”, reports the Irish Mirror.
It added: “We recommend passengers arrive at the terminal with extra time before their flight and go directly to security and passport control after dropping off their luggage to avoid any hold ups.”
Ryanair has attributed the delays to the Spanish National Police, claiming they were insufficiently prepared for the implementation of the new passport control system.
The airline has now called on Spanish authorities to urgently address the situation.
Travellers have reported extensive delays at Malaga in particular, especially for departures throughout the festive period, which is one of the busiest times of the year on the Costa.
Every Christmas, thousands of Irish holidaymakers jet off to Spain in search of some winter sun during the year’s shortest days.
Most will be heading back home in the next few days, ready to return to work by next Monday.
The Schengen Area is a zone encompassing 29 European countries that have done away with internal border checks, allowing for free movement of people much like within a single country.
It operates under a unified visa policy for external travel.
As Ireland is an island off the coast of Europe, it doesn’t fall within the Schengen Area, meaning passports must be presented and now, under new regulations, recorded every time an Irish citizen enters or exits an EU country.