Ryanair flight FR4756 to Bristol departed César Manrique–Lanzarote Airport (ACE) without 89 passengers on a Wednesday in late February 2026, leaving them stranded due to severe delays at passport control.www.youtube.comwww.theportugalnews.comwww.aviation24.be The bottleneck, caused by long manual checks for UK travelers post-Brexit, prevented nearly half the manifested passengers from boarding on time, forcing the captain to prioritize the departure slot to avoid network-wide delays. The aircraft sat on the tarmac for an extra hour offloading the passengers' 89 suitcases, as security rules prohibit flying baggage without its owner.

The incident stemmed from overwhelmed National Police counters at the airport, unable to handle the volume of non-EU visitors like British tourists, who require passport stamping unlike EU citizens using eGates. Lanzarote's infrastructure, designed for pre-Brexit free movement, has faced repeated complaints of staffing shortages amid rising tourist demand, with similar issues reported in Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, and Tenerife. Ryanair attributed the decision to border staff delays and Brexit-related manual processing, while passengers criticized the airline's rigid low-cost model prioritizing quick turnarounds over flexibility.

Lanzarote's tourism boss condemned the "unacceptable" queues, highlighting how such chaos undermines the island's appeal despite passengers not being late themselves.www.travelandtourworld.com Spanish airport operator Aena noted that passenger flow depends heavily on National Police deployment, which varies by central government planning. The event reignited debates on bolstering border resources at high-traffic Canary Islands hubs.