Ryanair could pull flights to popular holiday spot over airport chaos
A go-to holiday destination for Irish sunseekers could be facing major flight changes, with Ryanair warning it may pull routes entirely if airport delays continue.
Malta is among several European destinations that have recently rolled out the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which introduces biometric checks for non-EU travellers.
But the system is already causing headaches, with reports of long queues and passengers left waiting for extended periods after landing.
Pic: Ryanair
In one instance, travellers were reportedly stuck on the tarmac for around 20 minutes due to congestion inside the terminal.
Now, Ryanair has said it could be forced to take action.
David O’Brien, a senior executive at the airline and CEO of Malta Air, warned that ongoing delays could see flights redirected elsewhere, according to reports from The Times of Malta.
Sliema, Malta. Pic: Getty Images
‘If we find ourselves with significant congestion and delay, we’d have to redirect capacity away from Malta to other destinations — and that’s not something we’d like to do,’ he said.
O’Brien has since contacted Byron Camilleri, urging authorities to ensure border control areas are fully staffed ahead of the busy summer season.
While the airline says it hasn’t yet experienced major disruption at Malta Airport, there are growing concerns about what could happen as passenger numbers ramp up.
Pic: Shutterstock
Ryanair currently accounts for a huge share of traffic to the island, carrying more than half of all passengers last year.
Airport officials have already begun introducing measures to ease the pressure, including adding more immigration desks, creating a dedicated Schengen corridor, and reallocating staff to support the new system.
Passengers across Europe have reported similar problems, with delays also flagged in cities like Brussels, Lisbon and Prague.
The EES system, being introduced across 29 European countries, is designed to register non-EU visitors for short stays using biometric data. But its rollout has been far from smooth.
In fact, Greece has already hit pause on the system altogether. British travellers are currently exempt from biometric checks at Greek border crossings, in a move aimed at reducing congestion and improving the arrival experience.
