EasyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis criticized the European Union's new Entry-Exit System for causing long queues and flight disruptions this week.
The failure of the biometric system has created significant travel chaos for UK holidaymakers, leading to missed flights and unexpected financial burdens for passengers.
Speaking to ITV News on Thursday, Jarvis said the implementation of the system was a failure. He said the EU had known about the system since 2017 and failed to prepare for its rollout.
"It's completely unacceptable, they’ve had since 2017 to prepare for this eventuality, and they’ve obviously done a very poor job," Jarvis said.
The disruption was particularly acute at Milan Linate Airport in Italy. Reports indicate that between 100 [1] and 122 [2] passengers were left stranded due to the delays caused by the EES biometric queues.
These delays have resulted in high costs for affected travelers. One family from Leeds reportedly spent £1,600 [1] after being stranded, while other reports estimate costs reaching £2,000 [2] per passenger.
Jarvis said the poor execution of the system created an environment where passengers could not reach their gates in time, resulting in missed flights and stranded travelers.
“"It's completely unacceptable... they’ve obviously done a very poor job."”
The friction caused by the Entry-Exit System highlights a critical gap between the EU's security goals and the operational reality of airport logistics. As biometric requirements increase, the inability to process passengers efficiently creates a ripple effect that disrupts airline schedules and shifts the financial burden of systemic failure onto individual travelers.
