RYANAIR passengers will soon be required to present a digital boarding pass as the airline phases out the use of printed paper passes entirely.
According to the airline, more than three quarters of its 206m annual passengers already use digital boarding passes.
The remaining customers will now be required to transition to the app.
The airline describes the myRyanair platform as “best in class”, offering a range of digital features like in-seat food ordering and real-time flight updates.
Ryanair’s Chief Marketing Officer, Dara Brady, said in a statement the shift will offer a more seamless travel experience, calling it “a faster, smarter, and greener travel experience for our customers.”
The airline says the change follows the lead of other industries such as festivals and sports events, which have already successfully adopted digital-only ticketing.
Despite the move toward a fully digital system, Ryanair has taken steps to ensure passengers are not left stranded in the event of technical issues.
For travellers who don’t have smartphones, lose their phones, or run out of battery, printed boarding passes will still be available at airport check-in desks provided the passenger has already checked in online.
Michael O’Leary, the airline’s CEO, sought to reassure concerned passengers, stating, “If you lose your phone, no issue. As long as you’ve checked in before you got to the airport, we’ll reissue a paper boarding pass at the airport free of charge.”
Flights departing from Morocco are exempt from the new policy due to government regulations that still require physical boarding passes.
In those cases, passengers must check in online and then collect a boarding pass thats been printed at the airport.
Ryanair’s update also aligns with broader changes in global air travel.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has recently announced plans to implement digital travel credentials and biometric identity verification across international airports.
The initiative is expected to roll out within the next three years and could further reduce the reliance on traditional check-in and boarding processes.
While Ryanair acknowledges there may be “some teething problems” during the transition, the airline is encouraging all passengers to download the myRyanair app and familiarise themselves with the new system ahead of the November deadline.