Last Wednesday, a serious incident occurred at César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport affecting Ryanair passengers. A total of 89 passengers traveling to Bristol missed their flight FR4756 because massive queues at passport control prevented them from reaching the boarding gate in time.
Since the United Kingdom is not a member of the Schengen Area, travelers in this region must have their passports stamped, which led to an overload at the checkpoints. Despite the large number of stranded passengers, the airline decided against waiting and took off with a 46-minute delay after the luggage of the affected passengers had been unloaded in a process that took almost an hour.
This incident is the latest in a series of processing problems at Lanzarote Airport, particularly affecting passengers from non-EU countries. Similar scenarios occurred in February 2025 when the simultaneous arrival of 17 aircraft from non-Schengen countries overwhelmed the border police. Local business representatives, including José Valle from the Lanzarote Chamber of Commerce, had already warned of staff shortages and inadequate infrastructure in the summer of 2025. The situation is further exacerbated by the introduction of the EU's digital entry and exit system (EES), as the digital collection of biometric data significantly increases processing time per passenger.
Industry experts see Ryanair's hardline approach as a reaction to the ongoing dispute between the airline and the Spanish airport operator AENA. This dispute stems from increased airport fees, which Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has been protesting for some time. The airline's strict adherence to slot times, even if it leaves nearly a hundred passengers stranded, underscores the economic pressure in the low-cost carrier segment, where every minute of delay incurs significant additional costs. For Lanzarote Airport, this recurring congestion poses a considerable reputational risk, as the British market is one of the most important drivers of local tourism.
The affected passengers are now demanding compensation, although the legal situation in such cases is complex, as the overload of state passport control is often considered an extraordinary circumstance beyond the airline's direct control. Nevertheless, the airport's communication policy is under fire, as unloading the luggage took almost as long as a moderate flight delay would have. Without a short-term increase in border staff and an expansion of the screening areas for non-Schengen travelers, further bottlenecks are likely at Spanish holiday airports during the upcoming holiday season.