Ryanair threatens to cancel all Malta flights due to new EES

The new EES, introduced earlier this month, is an IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay (up to 90 days).

Travellers in Europe now have to provide personal data, and have their fingerprints scanned and a photograph taken as part of the system.

Ryanair threatens to axe flights to Malta due to new EES

The EES has received significant backlash since its introduction.

A total of 122 passengers were reportedly unable to board the flight from Milan Linate to Manchester this month due to delays caused by the EU's new EES.

The flight was held for 59 minutes before departing, with the majority of seats empty.

Travellers flying in and out of Malta are also experiencing wait times of up to 40 minutes due to the new system, according to the Times of Malta.

As a result, David O’Brien, the CEO of Ryanair’s Malta subsidiary, Malta Air, is threatening to pull all flights from the holiday hotspot.

Could Ryanair be about to redirect all flights away from Malta? (Image: Getty Images)

Mr O'Brien, speaking to the Times of Malta, said: "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."

O’Brien said he agreed with industry calls for a temporary suspension of the system to avoid major disruptions over the summer.

Ryanair operates flights between Malta and several major UK airports, including:

• Birmingham
• Bournemouth
• Edinburgh
• Glasgow International
• Liverpool John Lennon
• London Luton
• London Stanstead
• Manchester

Greece scraps EES for all British passport holders

Meanwhile, Brits travelling to Greece will not have to follow the EU's new EES.

The director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation in the UK, Eleni Skarveli, has revealed that anyone with a British passport will be able to avoid the checks, according to The Independent.

Ms Skarveli said the move aims to ensure “a smoother and more efficient arrival experience in Greece”.

Travellers can expect to spend less time waiting around at airports, as she said the move “is expected to significantly reduce waiting times and ease congestion at airports”.

Ms Skarveli, speaking to The Independent, said: "Practically, this means that the entry process in place before the implementation of the EES will remain unchanged."

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