An easyJet flight takes off, leaving 100 passengers stranded. UK | news

More than 100 passengers were left stranded in Milan after an easyJet flight to Manchester took off without them due to huge passport control queues linked to new EU border checks.

Among those caught up in the chaos was 26-year-old Vicky Chapman, of Pensby, who was due to fly home on Sunday morning after a family holiday with her partner Adam Hoijord, her five-year-old son Fredrick, her mother Lynn Chapman, and her brother Dan Chapman.

The family was booked on an 11am easyJet flight from Milan Linate Airport to Manchester. She told the Liverpool Echo: ”

We got to the airport with more than enough time and got to our gate at 9.30am, but we were flatly refused entry through passport control.

We were told we were a ‘no show’ for our flight because we didn’t get to the gate on time, even though passport control didn’t let us in.

The 11 am flight was held up for 59 minutes but eventually took off as the crew approached the end of permitted working hours.

We were moved here and there for three hours, and no one helped us.” He further said, ”It was so hot at the airport that people were vomiting; individuals were almost fainting.”

“We’re being told the earliest we can come back is Tuesday, and we have to fly to Gatwick. We have to pay out of pocket for an Airbnb.”

The flight to Manchester eventually took off, leaving Vicky and her family among the 105 passengers behind.

Another passenger, Kira, 17, from Oldham, told the BBC she felt unwell during the wait due to suspected food poisoning.

She said, “At about ten-fifty they brought out some water for people, and when we got to the front of the queue, someone asked us if we were going to Manchester and told us our flight had just left.

About 30 people boarded the plane, and about 100 did not.

She said her family had spent around £520 on replacement flights to Gatwick and onwards travel to Greater Manchester and claimed easyJet had offered £12.25 in compensation.

Adam Lomas, 33, from Wakefield, who was travelling with his wife Katy and their four-month-old daughter, said some passengers had booked hotels, while others had travelled to various airports, including Pisa, to get home.

He said, “We are trying to find a hotel and we have to book a flight to London and then go from London to Manchester because our daughter is babysat there.

“The airport and easyJet have spent hours arguing with each other over who is to blame.”

The disruption comes just days after the EU introduced its new Entry/Exit System (EES), which requires certain travellers entering or leaving the Schengen area to provide biometric details, including fingerprints and photographs.

The UK government has warned travellers that the new system could lead to longer waits at border controls.

Foreign Office advice states, “It may take additional time for each traveller to complete the EES, so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border.”

An EasyJet spokesperson said, “We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control and we advised customers to allow extra time to make their way through the airport.

“We are making every effort to reduce the impact of airport queues, grounding flights to give customers extra time and providing free flight transfers for any customers who may have missed their flight, including EJU5420 to Manchester.

“We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the flexibilities needed for as long as the EES remains in place to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers.

“While this is beyond our control, we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”