Low-cost carrier Ryanair piled further pressure on the Italian government on 3 May, publishing an open letter that details “systemic delays” caused by the new Entry/Exit System (EES) at ten of the country’s busiest airports. In the letter, obtained by business portal Corriere dell’Economia, the airline says passengers at Bergamo, Milan-Malpensa, Rome-Fiumicino, Venice and Naples have faced waits "well over two hours" since biometric capture became mandatory on 10 April. To mitigate the disruption Ryanair will, from 10 November, close airport check-in and bag-drop desks 60 minutes before departure—double the current 30-minute window. The airline is also accelerating installation of self-service bag-drop units, targeting coverage at 95 per cent of its Italian stations by October. While the measures affect only the 20 per cent of customers who still check luggage at the airport, corporate-travel bookers warn that many business travellers fall into that category, particularly on Monday-morning rotations. The Irish carrier argues that Italy should follow Greece in formally suspending the biometric requirement until extra kiosks and staff are in place. It claims that failure to act risks “economic self-harm” because travellers will reroute through airports, such as Athens or Geneva, that have adopted more flexible regimes. Industry group Airports Council International (ACI) Europe backs the call for a waiver during the summer peak, citing data showing average processing times have doubled at regional Italian gateways. Transport ministry officials say they are "monitoring performance daily" but note that EES is an EU-wide legal obligation. Nonetheless, under EU Regulation 2017/2226 member states may switch to manual stamping temporarily "where exceptional and unforeseen circumstances render biometric capture impracticable"—the same clause Greece invoked last week.
![Ryanair urges Italy to suspend EES as airport queues hit two hours; brings forward check-in cut-off]()
For travellers unsure about how the evolving rules might affect their next trip, VisaHQ offers real-time updates on Italy’s EES procedures alongside comprehensive visa and passport assistance. Its portal at https://www.visahq.com/italy/ provides personalised entry-check tools and document processing services, helping both leisure and corporate passengers stay compliant and avoid unexpected delays at the border.
Corporate-mobility advisers should prepare employees for the earlier Ryanair cut-off, emphasise online or app check-in, and encourage carry-on-only travel where feasible. For staff whose itineraries require hold luggage, booking alternative full-service carriers that maintain shorter desk-closing times could avoid last-minute airport sprints.
For travellers unsure about how the evolving rules might affect their next trip, VisaHQ offers real-time updates on Italy’s EES procedures alongside comprehensive visa and passport assistance. Its portal at https://www.visahq.com/italy/ provides personalised entry-check tools and document processing services, helping both leisure and corporate passengers stay compliant and avoid unexpected delays at the border.
Corporate-mobility advisers should prepare employees for the earlier Ryanair cut-off, emphasise online or app check-in, and encourage carry-on-only travel where feasible. For staff whose itineraries require hold luggage, booking alternative full-service carriers that maintain shorter desk-closing times could avoid last-minute airport sprints.
