Low-cost giant Ryanair publicly singled out Tenerife Sur, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante and Málaga as Europe’s least-prepared airports for the EU’s forthcoming biometric Entry/Exit System (EES). In a statement picked up by trade outlet Preferente, the carrier warned that insufficient kiosks, staffing shortages and unreliable software could create “nightmare” waits for non-Schengen arrivals during the July-August peak. The criticism follows industry-wide concerns that the switch from manual stamps to biometric capture will slow processing times just as traffic surpasses pre-pandemic highs. Business-travel planners fear missed connections on intra-EU itineraries that originate outside the bloc, as well as reputational damage when executives are stuck in hour-long queues. Airport authorities in the Canary Islands and on the mainland insist contingency rosters are in place, but Ryanair’s naming-and-shaming raises the political stakes ahead of Spain’s peak holiday weeks. The company has already lobbied Madrid to postpone full EES activation until September, echoing a similar move by Greece. Travel-risk consultants recommend booking Fast-Track services where available and alerting travellers to arrive at least 30 minutes earlier for passport control at the four airports. They also urge multinational firms to capture real-time queue data—via apps or on-site observers—to adjust ground transfers and meeting schedules dynamically.
Source: Preferente
