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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Ryanair demands urgent intervention as passengers face long delays and missed flights at major airport
Ryanair has demanded the Portuguese government 'urgently fix' staffing issues at airports across the country that have led to almost 300 passengers miss their flights. Europe's largest budget airline said the those that have managed to fly, including many travelling with young children, were being left to endure delays of up to two and a half hours. The problems are 'completely unacceptable', said Ryanair. Ongoing border control staff shortages at Faro, Lisbon, and Porto airports have been blamed for the issue, which are leading to 'excessive' queues. The carrier said that 'urgent action' is needed, especially during the peak morning period. It claims that during the two-week period from 26 May to 9 June, 270 passengers departing the affected airports missed their flights. Neal McMahon, Ryanair COO, criticised airport operator ANA Aeroportos de Portugal for the chaos. He blamed it for failing to ensure that 'adequate staff are in place to manage border control'. He added: 'This is not good enough, and the problem will only worsen as we go further into the summer season and traffic numbers increase.' Earlier this month, Portugal's minister of infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, attempted to reassure tourists, promising that issues around border control would be 'resolved within two weeks', according to The Mirror. Ivaylo Danailov, CEO of airline compensation specialists SkyRefund, is warning that those caught up in the problems could be in line for some money under European Union rules. 'When severe border control delays at Portugal's major airports cause missed flights, airline passengers may be entitled to compensation or rerouting under EU Regulation 261/2004, especially if the airline could have mitigated the disruption. However, he added that it's a 'grey area'. 'Airlines are not required to pay compensation if a delay or missed flight was due to factors outside their control, such as political instability, extreme weather, or airport staff strikes (which includes border control issues not managed by the airline). 'But, if the airline could have reasonably foreseen the disruption, for example, repeated border delays and failed to act, it has been known for courts to have sometimes ruled in favour of the passenger. 'For instance, they may argue the airline should have allowed more time for security and border procedures or co-ordinated better. 'Either way passengers have a right to care and rebooking.' Vinci Airports, which operates the three airports under its ANA Aeroportos de Portugal subsidiary, has been contacted for comment. British tourists have begun using e-gates at Faro Airport after a deal was struck with the UK government. Since Brexit, Britons arriving at EU airports have generally been forced to queue for manned desks to have their passports stamped, rather than use automated gates with facial recognition technology – leading to long waits, particularly during peak periods. The Portuguese airport has started the rollout of e-gate access to British arrivals after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed an agreement with EU leaders last month. It hopes the deal will smooth over 'legal barriers to e-gates use for UK nationals', once a new stamp-free biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) launches in October.
The Independent
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Ryanair blasts Portuguese border control over traveller queues
Ryanair has criticised Portuguese border control for staff shortages at airports like Faro, Lisbon, and Porto, leading to long delays and missed flights for passengers. The airline reported that over 270 passengers have missed flights in the past two weeks due to border control delays, with some facing waits of up to 2.5 hours. Ryanair's COO, Neal McMahon, described the staff shortages as "unacceptable" and called on the Portuguese government to urgently address the issue to prevent further disruptions during the summer season. Faro Airport recently announced the rollout of e-gate access for British arrivals, but passengers report continued long queues at border control. Portugal's PSP police force announced it would deploy 500 new officers to boost border control in Portuguese airports by July, hoping to fix the issue amid the summer tourist boom.
The Sun
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Towie trip chaos as Dan Edgar flirts with stunning new girl on flight to Portugal – right in front of ex Ella Rae Wise
DAN EDGAR made a beeline for a stunning brunette on a Towie cast flight to Portugal in front of 'fuming' ex Ella Rae Wise. The Dancing On Ice star, 35, caused a stir on a Jet2 flight from London Standard to Faro in Portugal after making a bold move mid-journey. 7 7 An onlooker told The Sun there were 'sparks flying' - but not everyone was enjoying the in-flight entertainment. CBB ex Ella, 24, was accused of shooting 'death stares' to Dan during the entire conversation as Love Island: All Stars couple Sammy Root and Elma Pazar watched on. An image obtained by The Sun shows Dan locked in conversation with the stunning brunette, who he chatted to for 15 minutes after the pair were 'drawn to each other' in the departure queue. A source told The Sun: 'We saw Dan Edgar chatting away to a woman who was on a hen do on our flight - the plane was full of the entire Towie cast. 'One of the girls from the hen do, he took a liking to. He was with her for quite a fair bit of the flight and his cast members didn't seem too happy. 'You could tell it was a flirty exchange - they were laughing and touching. There were definitely sparks flying. 'Sat near where they were talking was Sammy Root, Elma and Ella Wise. Ella was giving death stares - it looked like she was fuming. It was a very entertaining flight. 'We noticed they were drawn to each other - we could see them eyeing each other in the departure queue. 'It looked like socials were exchanged so it seems their conversation went really well.' Dan's potential new romance comes as the Towie cast jetted off to Portugal to kick off filming for the long-running ITV reality series' 15th anniversary. Towie star sparks concern in worrying new video after horrendous trolling as fans 'ask are you ok?' He had been dating CBB star Ella in the run-up to her stint on the show in April. While the last series saw Ella and Dan become "official" ahead of her stint on Celebrity Big Brother, it was revealed on the show that the two had split "amicably". The pair now face the first reunion since their split as the cast film scenes in the Algarve for the latest season, out later this year. Sophie Kasaei, boyfriend Jordan Brook, Junaid Ahmed and boyfriend Joe Blackman also join them in Portugal. Towie has been approached for comment. Meanwhile, Matilda Draper and Jodie Wells have been soaking up the sun at the luxury resort's pool. Elma Pazar, Harry Derbridge, Amber Turner and Dani Imbert, AMY Childs and Lauren Goodger are also on the trip. Dan is also set to face off with another of his exes - 31-year-old Amber Turner, who has since moved on from the Dancing On Ice star with Kent-based hunk Archie Chandler. The pair have been together since May last year, with sources reporting that Amber has finally found 'the one'. 7 7 7 7
The Sun
11-06-2025
- The Sun
Ryanair airport warning as hundreds of passengers miss flights due to huge queues
RYANAIR has issued a warning to customers after hundreds of passengers have missed flights in recent weeks. The low-cost airline reported disruptions due to long queues at certain locations. 2 The travel chaos results in over 270 people missing their flights in the past two weeks. Ryanair issued a warning on Monday, June 9, in response to bottleneck queues at a handful of airports. The airline said the long lines are resulting in unnecessary wait times, reaching up to two-and-a-half hours. These disruptions have affected passengers across Faro, Lisbon, and Porto airports. Ryanair called on Portugal's new government to urgently tackle the ongoing staff shortages at these locations. The massive delays are disrupting hundreds of passengers each day, including many who are travelling with young children. 'In just the past two weeks, over 270 passengers missed their flights at these airports due to excessive delays caused by understaffed border controls," Ryanair said in a statement. The airline spoke more about the disruptions which first began to affect its customers on May 26. Ryanair went on to describe the situation as 'completely unacceptable". "The new government should take urgent measures to ensure that border control at Portuguese airport is duly equipped with resources," the statement continued. Passengers injured on Ryanair flight after being thrown against the cabin roof as plane 'flew into supercell storm' These issues are said to be a result of a systemic staffing issue. Airport operator ANA is being accused of not prepping its staff and border posts for the influx of summer travel. The airline added that measures should be taken "especially during the morning rush hour, in order to avoid unnecessary delays and more people unfairly missing their flights". Neal McMahon, Director Of Operations at Ryanair, referred to the situation as 'unsustainable'. He added that it will only worsen as air traffic increases during the peak summer season. Last week, Portugal's Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, tried to assuage worries. He predicted that the issues at border control should be 'resolved within two weeks'. Portugal's PSP police force confirmed it will deploy 500 new officers to boost border control and airport security at Lisbon, Porto, Madeira ,and the Azores in July. Meanwhile, an early reinforcement was already carried out at Faro Airport where the queues have been particularly serious. Airlines are being faced with a variety of logistical issues over the airports' staffing shortages, including rebooking, customer complaints, and compensation claims. 2
The Sun
09-06-2025
- The Sun
I was BANNED from Ryanair flight because of tiny mark on my passport – anyone could make the same mistake
A GRIEVING pensioner was banned from a Ryanair flight and made to feel 'like a criminal' because of a harmless mark on his passport. David Burton, 70, was trying to fly from Exeter to Faro, in Portugal, last week when the low-cost airline said a tear meant his travel document was invalid. The expat was back in the UK to attend his closest friend's funeral in Cornwall, but was blocked from returning to Portimao, where he has lived for 30 years. David had planned to get the 5.35pm Ryanair flight to the holiday hotspot but was turned away at check-in when staff spotted the mark – caused years ago by a luggage sticker. It tore off the surface paper of David's official observations page, even though there are none listed. The father-of-two said he had travelled across Europe for years using the passport and never had a problem at border control. Yet his treatment at the hands of Ryanair's staff left him 'shook up and startled'. 2 Retired David told The Sun: 'I gave the agents my passport and they just went off with it. 'He came back and said it was being checked, to see if it's valid. 'Eventually they came back and said that Ryanair is very strict with documents. 'He came back with another young man and he said, 'You won't be travelling to Portugal today from this airport. You might be able to travel from Bristol or Gatwick'. 'He was trying to assert himself, so I thought there was no point in arguing. 'Not that they would know, but I'd just laid one of my friends to rest. 'My wife told me to go outside and get some fresh air. I wouldn't treat anyone the way I was treated. 'They were looking for a problem and a reason not to let me fly. You can use the word criminal, but it certainly felt like they had been trained to boot me off.' The rejection, for which David was not offered a refund, meant he had to book a new Jet2 flight from Bristol the next morning, setting him back hundreds of pounds in train and bus fares. The next day, David sailed through check-in with no issues, and agents told him his passport was perfectly valid to fly. The shocked pensioner added: 'Once I got to Faro, I asked the border agent if there was anything wrong with my passport. 'He looked at me like I was stupid, said no, stamped it, and sent me on my way. 'I'm just staggered this happened, and it's really shaken me. 'I'm lucky I could re-book the flight, or I really would have been stuck.' A Ryanair spokeswoman said: 'This passenger was correctly refused travel on this flight from Exeter to Faro by the gate agent at Exeter Airport as his passport was damaged and therefore not valid for travel.' What are passport rules? What are passport rules? The Sun's Head of Travel Lisa Minot has explained exactly what Brits need to know." Travellers used to be able to roll over up to nine unused months from their old passport onto a new one. "But post-Brexit, anyone wanting to travel to the EU can no longer rely on those extra months." In order to travel to the EU, all passports must be no more than 10 years old on the day you arrive in your European destination. "And you'll need at least three months on your passport on the day you head back to the UK." Figures have shown up to 100,000 holidaymakers a year face being turned away at airports if their passport is more than 10 years old. "The 10-year rule only applies to countries in the European Union but every country may have different rules on what is accepted - some countries like South Africa, for example, insist you have at least six months left on your passport when you travel and a full clear page."
