As the summer holidays are about to kick off and airports being to fill, you’d expect planes to also be packed. Instead, airlines say some are taking off with rows after rows of empty seats, not because people didn’t book them, but because they never made it to the gate in time. According to the aviation industry  passengers are getting to the airport on time, checking in, dropping off their bags and making it through security, only to find themselves stuck in border control queues while boarding continues without them. By the time they finally reach the departure gate, their flight has already left.

Airlines say passengers are doing everything they’re supposed to do, yet some are still missing flights because they’re getting caught up in delays after they’ve already reached the airport. For airlines, it’s becoming an expensive problem. For travellers, it’s turning the start of a holiday into a stressful race against the clock. And with Europe’s busiest travel weeks still to come, the industry fears the problem could become even more noticeable.

How are planes leaving half full?

At first, it sounds impossible. Flights are selling out, airports are full of holidaymakers and airlines are putting on extra services to cope with demand. So how can an aircraft leave with empty seats? The answer, airlines say, is that the passengers are already inside the airport. They’ve checked in, dropped off their luggage and made it through security, but then become stuck in long border control queues while boarding carries on without them.

Airlines eventually have little choice but to close the aircraft doors and leave on schedule. Holding one flight for too long can trigger delays across the rest of the day’s timetable, affecting other passengers, aircraft and crews waiting for their next departure. The result is something nobody wants to see. Planes take off with seats that have already been sold, while the people who paid for them are still waiting to clear passport control.

For anyone travelling this summer, it’s a reminder that getting to the airport early may not be the only thing that matters. If queues become longer during the busiest weeks of the holidays, the biggest delay could come after you’ve checked in, not before.

When one missed flight turns into a ruined holiday

Missing a flight is frustrating enough. What comes next is often much worse. If you’ve booked a family holiday, a cruise or a trip with a tight connection, one missed departure can quickly throw the whole journey into chaos. A hotel room still needs paying for even if you arrive a day late. Airport transfers don’t wait forever. A connecting flight might disappear, and finding another seat during the height of summer isn’t always easy.

Families can also find themselves in an impossible situation. If one person gets through while another is delayed, nobody wants to leave a partner, parent or child behind. More often than not, the whole family misses the flight together. For passengers travelling to weddings, special celebrations or long-planned holidays, it’s not just an inconvenience. In some cases, it’s an event they can’t simply rearrange.

It’s costing airlines too

While passengers are left trying to rescue their holiday plans, airlines are dealing with the financial impact. Every empty seat represents a ticket that has already been sold but can no longer be used. Once the aircraft leaves, that revenue is effectively lost, even though the passenger was already inside the airport trying to reach the gate.

Airlines then face the additional challenge of dealing with frustrated customers, rearranging travel where possible and absorbing the knock-on disruption that follows missed departures. It’s one of the reasons they’re speaking out now instead of waiting until later in the summer.

Why the new border system is part of the conversation

The growing disruption is also why airlines and airport operators have asked for the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) to be temporarily suspended during periods of severe congestion, arguing that border staff should be able to switch back to manual passport stamping until queues return to manageable levels before resuming the digital checks.

The biggest test is still ahead

The industry’s biggest concern is that the busiest part of the summer hasn’t even arrived yet. July and August are when airports across Europe are at their busiest, with millions of families heading away during the school holidays. That’s when even a small delay at border control can quickly snowball as more passengers arrive at the same time.

Airlines believe that’s when the real pressure will be felt. That doesn’t mean every traveller is going to face long queues or miss their flight. Most people will still get through the airport without any problems.

But if you’re flying during the school holidays or through one of Europe’s busiest airports, it’s worth giving yourself a little more time than you normally would. It won’t guarantee a queue-free journey, but it could give you valuable breathing space if border control is taking longer than expected.

For now, airlines are hoping the warning comes early enough to prevent the problem from getting worse. Because while the industry is worried about flights leaving half full, most travellers have a much simpler concern: after paying for a holiday and doing everything right, they just want to make sure they’re actually on the plane when it takes off.

Spain’s second-hottest June on record has been linked to 1,029 heat-attributable excess deaths, turning the first weeks of summer into a warning for families checking on older relatives, residents sleeping in overheated homes and holidaymakers looking for quick relief in pools, rivers or the sea.

How June heat became a household health risk before Spain’s summer peak

June’s heatwave has been felt throughout Spain’s households in a myriad of ways: shutters down all day, taking on errands late into the evening, checking on older neighbours, keeping fans running on high and avoiding those everyday terrace visits during the afternoon.

Official figures now show that universal discomfort was part of a much wider health risk. Spain recorded 1,029 excess deaths attributable to heat in June, according to data from the Health Ministry’s Daily Mortality Monitoring System, known as MoMo. The figure came as Spain and the rest of Europe endured a five-day heatwave with temperatures above 40ºC in several areas.

Spain’s state weather agency, the Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMET), said average temperatures in June were 3.2ºC above normal, making it the second-hottest June since records began, behind only June 2025.

For British expats, tourists and residents across Spain, the concern is no longer only the peak of August. The latest figures show that dangerous heat is already becoming a serious health issue at the start of summer.

How Spain’s heat deaths can often be harder to see

The MoMo figure is not a list of people whose death certificates simply say “heatstroke”. Spain’s Daily Mortality Monitoring System estimates excess deaths by comparing observed mortality with expected mortality and assessing how much is attributable to temperature.

This matters because heat often works through existing illness. An older person with heart problems, someone with breathing difficulties, a person taking medication, or a resident recovering from another condition may not appear as a dramatic heat emergency. However, the pressure can build over several days.

The Spanish Health Ministry has repeatedly warned that people over 75 are among those most at risk from high temperatures. Babies, small children, pregnant women, people with chronic illness and those living alone are also considered vulnerable.

Nevertheless, the heat is becoming less of a forecast and more of a routine to manage. A short walk to the pharmacy, a bus stop without shade, a terrace that becomes unbearable by lunchtime or a night without proper sleep can all become part of the same risk.

How cooling off in water can also become dangerous

When the body feels trapped by heat, water looks like an escape. But recent deaths across Europe show how that instinct can turn dangerous, especially when people swim in unsupervised areas, enter the water suddenly after hours in the sun, drink alcohol, or overestimate their strength.

In France, 40 people drowned in recent days as people sought relief from the heat, the French prime minister said on June 23, according to Reuters. In Germany, the German Life Saving Association reported fatal bathing accidents during the heatwave, with rescuers warning that people, particularly men, often underestimate the risks of open water.

Spain has already had its own warning signs this summer. At least 13 drowning deaths were reported in three days in mid-June, most of them on beaches, with several victims aged over 70.

Not every drowning can be blamed on heat, and it would be wrong to claim that every case involved thermal shock. But heat brings more people to beaches, rivers, reservoirs and pools, often at the hottest and most tiring part of the day.

Cruz Roja advises bathers to use authorised and supervised bathing areas where possible and to avoid entering the water abruptly, especially after sun exposure. The old fear of a “corte de digestión” is often misunderstood; the more serious risk is the sudden temperature change after the body has been overheated.

How families and visitors can reduce the risk before July peaks

The latest June figures show that July and August are no longer the only dangerous months for heat-related incidents in Spain.

Families with older relatives may need to check whether homes are cooling at night, not only whether someone has water near their bed at night. Medication should be kept in a cool place, outdoor errands are safer earlier or later, and alcohol can make both heat and swimming risks worse.

For tourists, the warning is just as relevant. A hotel pool, a river spot or a beach swim can feel like the fastest way to recover from extreme heat, but lifeguarded areas, gradual entry into the water and avoiding swimming alone matter more when the body is already exhausted and overheating.

MoMo figures can still be revised because recent death registrations may arrive late. Even so, Spain’s summer health risk is no longer only about record temperatures, but about the ordinary day-to-day moments when people try to carry on as normal, sleep through hot nights, check on someone they love, or rush into water just to feel cool again.

Los Alcazares is set to celebrate diversity on the shores of the Mar Menor with the return of its annual Pride celebration. Running from Monday, July 6 to Saturday, July 11, this third edition of “El Mar Menor vibra con Orgullo” promises nearly a week of events dedicated to the LGTBIQ+ community, equality, and respect.

Star-studded line-up at Plaza de la Feria

The main stage at Plaza de la Feria will host as many as 30 diverse acts throughout the week. Acclaimed artists Nebulossa and Malena Gracia will top the star-studded bill, alongside popular performers like Satín Greco, Le Cocó, Pitita, Kuve, and Keunam.

The festival’s major highlights begin on Thursday, July 9, with the Gala Míster Orgullo del Mar Menor. This is followed on Friday by the colorful Gala Divas y Reinas. The celebrations reach their peak on Saturday, July 11, starting with a lively parade along the seafront at 19:00, marching from Plaza del Espejo to Plaza de la Feria.

Following the march, Mayor Mario Pérez Cervera and the “Lo tienes claro?” Association will deliver a pride manifesto, setting the stage for an opening speech and a massive closing gala, featuring unforgettable musical performances.

Highlighting health and advocacy on the coast

In addition to the fun aspect of the event, it will also have another main focus: public health. All day on July 10, and in the morning of July 11, organisers will provide quick, confidential, and free HIV tests at the Town Hall, available for anyone who wants to take one.

Local businesses along the Los Alcazares promenade are also actively participating, with many hosting themed events, decorative displays, and special promotions to welcome the influx of international and local visitors.

This vibrant coastal celebration will successfully blend high-energy entertainment with important advocacy, welcoming residents and visitors to honour equality and have fun together. Organisers suggest that anyone interested in attending arrive early to the event, and enjoy one of the most colourful and fun celebrations in the town’s local summer calendar.