Ryanair confirms exact date for boarding pass change after huge delay
Ryanair has delayed the introduction of paperless-only boarding passes to come into force after the summer.
Now tipped to be in place from November, this marks a six-month delay from the projected May 2025 start date that Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary announced in a press conference last October. Ryanair confirmed this week that the move to mobile boarding passes will be pushed to November 3, 2025.
As of November, Ryanair passengers will no longer be able to show printed boarding passes, but will be required to present a digital PDF version of their boarding pass via the Ryanair app: myRyanair. Ryanair CMO Dara Brady says: “This move to 100 per cent paperless boarding passes from November 2025 will allow us to deliver an enhanced travel experience for customers, streamlined through the myRyanair app during our less busy winter schedule.”
Brady says focusing on the myRyanair app will also increase airport efficiency: “This will be particularly useful to passengers during disruptions as it will facilitate real-time updates from our Ops Centre directly to passengers’ phones, and will also provide them with alternative flight options, and offer transfers or hotel accommodation options when necessary.”
The airline confirmed the phase-out of physical boarding passes will coincide with the withdrawal of its airport check-in desks, designed to “create a smoother, easier journey for everybody” according to O’Leary. The scrapping of airline check-in desks will also mean the elimination of almost all airport check-in fees.
Ryanair explained that the move to mobile is sensible given that 80% of their 200 million passengers already use digital boarding passes. The airline also notes the sustainable advantage of paperless boarding passes, citing that the change will help them reduce their carbon footprint and save 300 tonnes of paper waste each year.
According to O’Leary: “Everything will be managed through the app, making the process fully digital and eliminating paper entirely”. When the policy comes into effect in November, Ryanair will be the first airline to completely ban paper boarding passes, though there will be a few exceptions.
Paper boarding passes will still be necessary for passengers departing from airports in Turkey (except Dalaman airport), Morocco and Tirana in Albania. Passengers travelling from these countries are required to check in online and print out a paper boarding pass, according to the Ryanair website.
Only two full months into the year, Ryanair has already had a few shakeups. In addition to this boarding pass policy, the company also announced cuts to some popular EU travel destinations. The cancellation of these European routes are a direct result of aviation fees imposed by countries like Denmark, Italy, Germany and Spain.
Despite these route cuts, Ryanair has confirmed its summer 2025 flight schedule will include 20.8 million seats for UK travellers and plans to deliver more low fare options.
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