A wave of anger erupted as Ryanair allegedly left 89 passengers stranded at Lanzarote’s airport after severe delays at passport control. The incident reportedly involved a nearly-empty flight from César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport to Bristol, with about 89 passengers not able to board.
Delays began at the non-Schengen passport control area, where travelers waited to have their passports stamped before boarding. Frustration among staff and passengers grew, and, as the line stretched—nearly an hour-long stalemate—airport staff reportedly began unloading suitcases from the plane and eventually departed without the remaining passengers. La Voz de Lanzarote, a local newspaper, covered the development.
The aircraft then arrived in Bristol 52 minutes late, while the passengers who hadn’t boarded remained in Lanzarote. Details about what happened to those passengers after the incident and how long they were stranded were not immediately clear.
This is not the first time Lanzarote’s airport has faced similar issues. In February of the previous year, the arrival of 17 non-EU flights caused chaos as travelers needed passport stamps on arrival. José Valle, president of the Lanzarote and La Graciosa Chamber of Commerce, warned last year that the EU’s new European Entry/Exit System (EES) could trigger “serious collapses” at the airport. The full rollout of the border-control changes is scheduled for April 10.
The situation ties into broader EU efforts to digitalize borders, introducing new rules for non-visa nationals visiting the Schengen Area. Airport and airline groups have warned that waiting times could be even longer this summer due to the new system, urging action to address chronic border-control understaffing and ongoing technology issues.
Some sources suggest Ryanair’s decision to leave passengers behind might reflect the airline’s broader frustration with Spain’s airport charges, raised by AENA, the state-controlled operator. Ryanair has yet to comment directly on the Lanzarote incident.
Ryanair has criticized what it calls a monopoly-like price policy from AENA, arguing that high airport charges push traffic to other European airports where costs are more competitive. The airline claims this dynamics limits growth at Spanish airports, while it plans to expand traffic in other markets.
In response to the dispute, Ryanair has previously indicated plans to cut more than a million seats on certain Spanish routes this year. The airline and AENA have been urged to resolve the underlying cost and efficiency issues to prevent repeat disruptions.
