Ryanair flags European airport delays as Dover chaos looms
Dover faces feared border chaos this weekend as EU Entry/Exit System software problems force French police to register travellers manually, while Ryanair european airport delays warnings flag Lisbon, Tenerife South, Alicante and other Schengen hubs as recurring hotspots for UK passengers. A £40m automated facility at the Kent port still cannot operate.
Key Takeaways
- About 7,500 outbound cars are expected at Dover on Friday and nearly 10,000 on Saturday as peak summer begins.
- French border police will create EES files manually after biometric kiosks remain offline due to French-side software issues.
- Ryanair warned UK travellers could face long queues at popular European airports including Malaga and Milan Bergamo.
- Eurotunnel says it does not anticipate delays; Dover urges arrivals no more than two hours before sailing.
- Domestic UK staycations are rising amid heatwaves, flight fears and EU border delay concerns.
Why is Dover bracing for chaos this weekend?
The Port of Dover is preparing for its biggest test yet of new EU border controls as schools break up and peak summer traffic hits the Channel. French police aux frontières based at Dover will manually register non-EU travellers under the Entry/Exit System (EES).
Biometric steps—photographing and fingerprinting—cannot be completed because the new automated facility is blocked by software problems in France. Port bosses still fear long queues from the extra time needed to create a file for each visitor. The Guardian reported Friday and Saturday volumes of about 7,500 and 10,000 cars to France.
Chief executive Doug Bannister told the BBC it was “very disappointing” that the £40m Western Docks site, with 84 kiosks, cannot be used for cars. In May half-term, Dover declared a critical incident after waits hit four-and-a-half hours on a day with about 8,500 outbound vehicles.
Where could Ryanair european airport delays hit hardest?
For most UK flyers into the Schengen area of 29 countries, EES checks happen at the airport on landing and departure. Europe’s biggest carrier, Ryanair, warned again that UK passengers could be “the testing ground for unfinished border infrastructure” and should prepare for long queues.
It named Lisbon, Tenerife South, Alicante, Malaga and Milan Bergamo as “recurring hotspots” for EES-related delays. London Heathrow said this weekend starts its peak season, with Friday likely its busiest day. Travel body Abta expects the main outbound air getaway to follow next weekend.
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What should travellers do before they set off?
Dover has urged holidaymakers to use only main roads to the port and arrive no more than two hours before their booked sailing. Since May, the port has added border positions in its ferry terminal, and French authorities have agreed suggested staffing levels. Bannister said the port has done “absolutely everything” it can, but “a lot of unknowns” remain around how EES will affect travel.
Eurotunnel’s LeShuttle said it does not anticipate delays as summer traffic builds, though biometric EES registration will also not run for car passengers this summer and its automated kiosks remain offline. Motoring groups expect a huge domestic getaway, with the RAC citing concerns over cancelled flights, higher fares and EU border delays as reasons more people are staying in the UK.
The AA said about one in five drivers plan a leisure trip of 100 miles or more in the next week. Next weekend looks even busier at Dover, with about 10,500 outbound cars expected on both 24 and 25 July. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has pressed France for a pragmatic approach, while the Department for Transport announced an extra £20m for Kent infrastructure after earlier shared funding of £10.5m.