A man was refused entry onto a Ryanair flight to Spain even though his passport was still valid.

Ryanair issued an apology following a situation at Luton airport where ground staff denied a passenger’s boarding to Spain due to his valid passport.

On Friday, December 8th, 51-year-old Mark Starkey was scheduled for the 6am flight to Alicante. His passport, issued on December 11th, 2013, will expire on July 11th, 2024.

According to the regulations following Brexit, a British passport must be under 10 years of age at the time of traveling to the EU and have a minimum validity of three months on the planned return date. Mr. Starkey’s passport fulfilled these requirements.

However, a supervisor at the London airport claimed that the document was not valid and denied him permission to board the plane.

According to Mr Starkey, a leader in educational technology, he successfully cleared through security and the departure gate without any issues. He mentioned that the ground staff member noticed that his passport only had three days remaining before the 10-year rule expired. Mr Starkey acknowledged this and explained that this would be his final trip of the year before renewing his passport.

“Upon being cleared by security, I proceeded towards the aircraft. However, I was halted by the attendant who informed me that she needed to verify with the Ryanair immigration team.”

She contacted them and provided them with my information, but she expressed doubt about my ability to fly. Afterwards, she ended the call and informed me that my passport was invalid.

I expressed my disagreement and requested to speak with a manager. The individual informed me that she was the supervisor and held the position of authority. I then requested to speak with the Ryanair representative for immigration matters, but she declined, stating that it was solely her responsibility and that my passport was deemed invalid.

I was shocked when I encountered an unexpected blockage. Afterwards, I had to figure out a way to return through the airport.

After verifying the validity of his passport, Mr. Starkey traveled from his residence in Buckinghamshire to Spain the next day via an easyJet flight. He encountered no issues using the same passport.

During the Brexit talks, the UK requested that individuals holding British passports be classified as “third-country nationals”, which is the same status given to travelers from numerous other countries, such as Tonga and Venezuela.

For several months following its implementation in 2021, both Ryanair and easyJet incorrectly enforced a rule stating that a British passport expires after nine years and nine months.

Following pressure from The Independent, both airlines complied with the Brussels regulations, along with the UK government, which had been providing inaccurate information on the matter.

A representative from Ryanair expressed regret over Mr Starkey’s situation, stating that they apologize for the handling agent at Luton airport mistakenly believing that his passport was not valid for travel to the EU.

“All British citizens visiting the European Union are required to adhere to the entry guidelines below.”

One of our Customer Service representatives will reach out to this traveler regarding the mistake made by our agent at Luton airport.

Furthermore, in accordance with European air passenger regulations, Ryanair is required to reimburse Mr. Starkey’s flight expenses, cover any additional transportation expenses, and provide a cash compensation of £350.

Source: independent.co.uk