RYANAIR BOSS WARNS PLANES WILL DEPART WITHOUT LATE PASSENGERS

Michael O'Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, has warned that aircraft will depart without passengers who fail to reach the boarding gate before boarding concludes. Speaking on The Travel Expert podcast, O'Leary stated that passengers bear responsibility for arriving at airports on time and that the airline will not delay flights for travellers held up in passport control queues. He said: "We will not wait for anybody. Our priority is to those passengers who are at the boarding gate when boarding starts. If you're not at the boarding gate when we finish boarding, the plane is going without you." O'Leary also described the lack of passenger rights in such circumstances as "regrettable".

The statement comes after the European Union's entry-exit system (EES) took effect in April, introducing digital border checks at Schengen Area airports. Reports indicate that the new system has created waits of up to three hours at some airports. Hundreds of travellers across multiple airlines have missed flights since the scheme's implementation, including Ryanair passengers whose planes departed while they remained in passport control queues. Those affected have incurred significant costs for replacement flights and accommodation, with neither airlines nor travel insurers covering the expenses in many cases.

During his podcast appearance, O'Leary also called EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen "stupid" in relation to the travel rules. The warning reflects mounting tensions between European airlines and the regulatory framework governing border procedures, as passenger complaints about delays and missed connections continue to mount.