A couple were stopped from boarding their Ryanair flight due to a post-Brexit rule that made them feel like “criminals”.
Paul Mason, 59, and his partner, Zoe Rooney, 47, had spent £1,000 on holiday to Athens to attend a gig of one of their favourite artists.
The couple were “extremely excited” for their three-day trip, which they had booked in December 2024.
However, their holiday getaway dreams were dashed when Rooney was stopped at the gate.
A couple were stopped from boarding their Ryanair flight due to a post-Brexit rule
PAThe 47-year-old was told by Ryanair staff at Stansted that her passport was too old for her to travel.
Rooney’s passport was over 10 years old, though still had an expiry date of August 2025.
The Hertfordshire couple had forked out over £1,000 for the trip to see electronic group Kosheen, including £408 on flights.
Her partner said the whole incident “made us feel like criminals”.
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Rooney’s passport was over 10 years old, though still had an expiry date of August 2025
PA“When we had booked our flights online, nothing flagged us to say that her passport was invalid. We thought everything was alright; we made it through check-in and security before it was pointed out to us.
"It was only when we were minutes from boarding our flight that we were told we couldn't fly.”
He said that they were offered no solution, only being told to apply for a new passport. Dismayed, the couple left the airport and headed home.
Following Brexit, EU countries will no longer accept passports issued more than 10 years ago.
Previously, UK travellers could carry up to nine months from an old passport over onto a new one.
The 47-year-old was told by Ryanair staff at Stansted that her passport was too old for her to travel
PARooney’s passport was issued to her on November 19, 2014, and the expiry date is listed as August 9, 2025.
“It was very embarrassing she said”, as she recounted having to exit the queue in front of other passengers.
“I had no idea about the rule,” she professed but is now in the process of renewing her passport.
A spokesperson for Ryanair has said: “Passport must meet the requirements for travel from the UK to the EU, which are set out by the European Commission Migration & Home Affairs Office – not Ryanair.
“Passports must be issued within 10 years of the date of departure into the EU [and] it is each passenger's responsibility to ensure that their passport is valid for travel in line with the relevant State requirements at the time of travel.
"These requirements are clearly set out on Ryanair.com, and passengers are reminded with pop-up messages during booking.”
