Ryanair flies off from Lanzarote to Bristol leaving 89 passengers behind at passport control
Flight to Bristol departs half-empty after long queues at César Manrique Airport while airline removes luggage
89 passengers were left high and dry at César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport last Wednesday when Ryanair flight FR4756 to Bristol took off without them. The trouble started at the non-Schengen passport control, where long queues meant they could not reach the gate by the scheduled 3.15pm departure.Ryanair staff decided not to hold the plane and spent nearly an hour unloading the stranded passengers' luggage before finally leaving. The flight arrived in Bristol 46 minutes late, flying half-empty as a result. Ryanair later explained that "had the passengers arrived at the boarding gate before it closed, they would have been able to board the flight, just like the rest of the passengers who did arrive on time." They added that once boarding closes, "a legal report is signed along with the manifest and sent to the captain, so boarding cannot be reopened."
Passengers who miss flights this way face a €100/£100 fee to switch to another one, according to the airline. It remains unclear exactly what happened to the 89 people left behind or how long they were stranded.
This is not the first time passport bottlenecks have hit Lanzarote Airport. Back in February 2025, 17 non-EU flights arriving together caused major congestion with hundreds needing stamps. There are fresh worries too about the upcoming EU Entry/Exit System (EES). In August 2025, José Valle, president of the Lanzarote y La Graciosa Chamber of Commerce, warned it could cause “serious bottlenecks” unless the airport gets more resources.
Some in the industry link Ryanair's firm stance to their frustration with AENA's recent airport charge hikes in Spain, though the airline has not commented officially.
Long queues at non-Schengen control are a known headache at busy holiday airports like Lanzarote. For anyone catching a flight there, arriving extra early might be wise, especially if you need a passport stamp.
You might also be interested in: Ryanair and three other airlines sued again in Spain over unfair gift card rules
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