Ryanair CEO: We Won't Wait for Passengers Stuck in Airport Queues

Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, has issued a firm warning to travelers: the airline will not delay flights for passengers stuck in airport queues. O'Leary stressed that it is the passengers' responsibility to arrive at airports on time and to be aware of new arrival and departure systems.

His comments come amid ongoing issues with lengthy queues at European airports, particularly for UK travelers entering the Schengen area. New security measures, including fingerprint scanning and facial photography, have led to hours-long waits at border control points in some locations.

Speaking on "The Travel Expert" podcast, O'Leary stated, "We will not wait for a single person. Our priority is those passengers who are at the boarding gate when boarding begins." He highlighted that Ryanair is committed to its schedule and cannot accommodate delays caused by passenger tardiness due to security procedures.

To mitigate potential delays and improve passenger flow, Ryanair is expanding its self-service bag drop kiosks. The airline aims to have these kiosks available at over 95% of its operating airports by October. Despite these efforts, some organizations have warned that waiting times at border controls have reached a "critical point," urging Brussels to establish a permanent mechanism to suspend entry/exit system checks under exceptional circumstances.

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We will not wait for a single person. Our priority is those passengers who are at the boarding gate when boarding begins.