Ryanair leaves 89 passengers behind after delays at passport control in Lanzarote
Ryanair left 89 passengers stranded on Wednesday after severe delays at passport control at César Manrique–Lanzarote Airport prevented them from reaching the gate in time for their flight to Bristol.
The affected flight was FR4756. It was scheduled to depart at 3.15 pm for the UK. According to local reports, the delays began at the non-Schengen passport control area, where travellers must queue to have their passports stamped before boarding. Long queues at this checkpoint are a recurring issue at the airport, often causing knock-on delays for outbound flights.
In this case, Ryanair reportedly chose not to wait for the remaining passengers to clear the queue. The airline instead removed their luggage from the aircraft (a process that took nearly an hour) before departing without them. The flight eventually took off and arrived in Bristol 46 minutes late.
Some industry sources suggest the decision may be linked to Ryanair’s ongoing frustration with Spain over increased airport charges introduced by AENA, though the airline has not formally commented on the incident.
This is not the first time border-control bottlenecks have caused problems at Lanzarote’s airport. In February 2025, the arrival of 17 non-EU flights at the same time caused severe congestion as hundreds of passengers required passport stamps on arrival.
Concerns have also been raised about the upcoming EU Entry/Exit System (EES). In August 2025, Cámara de Comercio de Lanzarote y La Graciosa president José Valle warned that the new digital border-control system could trigger “serious bottlenecks” at the airport unless resources were improved.
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