Ryanair passengers storm tarmac to stop plane taking off after French border control farce

Dan McDonald
Fri, 24 Apr 2026 05:12:38 +0000

Ryanair passengers were forced to storm the tarmac to block a plane from taking off after chaos at French border control.

More than 80 people rushed onto the runway at Marseille-Provence Airport on Saturday night after lengthy delays left them stranded while their aircraft prepared to leave.

Chaotic scenes ensued when travellers bound for Marrakesh found themselves unable to reach their gate in time for Ryanair flight FR2640.

The service had been scheduled to leave at 10.30pm - but did not ultimately take off until approximately 1.50am.

Frustration boiled over as passengers breached security to confront the aircraft directly on the tarmac.

Video footage captured the extraordinary moment when travellers surrounded the plane, shouting at airport personnel in an attempt to prevent departure.

The pilot appeared visibly shocked, leaning out of the cockpit window to observe the commotion below.

One stranded passenger called up to him: "It's not good, it's not good."

Additional footage showed a woman gesturing frantically and yelling on the runway while fellow travellers stood defiantly before the jet.

French broadcaster BFM has reported that a woman was subsequently taken into custody on suspicion of disabling fire safety equipment to enable access to the airfield.

Despite the dramatic intervention, the flight eventually left more than three hours behind schedule, leaving a number of ticketed passengers behind.

Authorities explained that Ryanair faced operational constraints requiring aircraft to be stationed in particular countries overnight or ensuring crew availability at designated locations the next morning.

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Officials at Marseille-Provence Airport have now launched an investigation into what they described as an "exceptionally rare situation."

The incident comes amid growing concerns over border processing times at European airports after the introduction of the Entry-Exit System on April 10.

British holidaymakers heading to the continent this spring and summer have been told to expect extended queues at passport control.

The new digital framework requires non-EU travellers to provide biometric information like fingerprints and facial scans when crossing into the Schengen zone.

These additional steps have already started causing bottlenecks at hubs across Europe - with more set to follow during the peak travel season.

Copenhagen, Madrid-Barajas and Malaga airports are among those expected to experience the worst of the delays.