Exclusive: Ryanair Confirms Exceptions to New '100% Paperless' Boarding Rule

Ryanair made headlines Wednesday with plans for a "100% paperless" system for boarding passes. The Irish low-cost carrier will adopt an app-only policy from November 3.

It says all passengers will have to use the digital boarding pass generated in the airline’s ‘myRyanair’ app. Physical boarding passes — including those currently printed at home — will no longer be an option.

However, Skift has learned that there will be exceptions to the seemingly strict new rule.

Put simply, Ryanair’s paperless push will ultimately be outside its control. As the airline itself acknowledges, not all airports in its network accept digital boarding passes.

The carrier’s website says none of its Turkish airports, except Dalaman, offer mobile options.

All Moroccan airports also require traditional paper passes, as well as routes to the UK from the Albanian capital, Tirana.

Ryanair's website currently advises: “Customers traveling from these airports must check-in online and print out a paper boarding pass for their flight(s).”

A Ryanair spokesperson confirmed to Skift that exceptions will be made for "operational reasons" at airports that do not recognize digital boarding passes. The airline said it will notify passengers flying on affected routes ahead of departure.

While Ryanair's exposure to the Turkish market is limited, it is a much bigger player in Morocco where it flies from 13 airports. This includes the key leisure markets of Marrakech and Agadir.

Skift analysis of Cirium Diio data suggests Ryanair will offer more than 110,000 seats a week from Morocco in November onboard more than 580 weekly flights. This means almost half a million passengers each month could still be using paper boarding passes.

Policy Introduction Delayed

The broader November launch will coincide with the start of the company’s winter flying schedule. This will avoid a potentially messy introduction during the peak summer months when the airline and its airport partners operate at full capacity. Ryanair confirmed to Skift that adopting the policy at a quieter time of the year should make the move “more seamless.”

Ryanair claims the change will “improve customer experience and eliminate almost all airport check-in fees.” 

The airline says safeguards will be in place for passengers who lose their phone or run out of battery. Travelers in this situation will be assisted free of charge at the airport so long as they check in and download a boarding pass prior to the predicament. 

However, it is unclear if a new fee will be introduced for those who arrive at the airport having not checked in at all, or if they will be denied travel completely.

How Many Passengers Are Affected?

As part of its justification for the change, Ryanair says almost 80% of its passengers already use digital boarding passes – however, context is key. 

In its most recent financial year, the airline carried approximately 185 million passengers. This suggests at least 37 million customers still used paper boarding passes over the 12-month period.

Given Ryanair has promoted paperless ticketing for more than a decade, this remaining 20% cohort of customers will prove the most resistant to the change.

The push to all-digital ticketing may alienate some customers, but it is likely to have big commercial benefits for the budget carrier. 

Forcing customers to use the Ryanair app will drive greater opportunities for ancillary selling, such as car hire, assigned seating, and in-flight catering. Within Wednesday’s announcement, Ryanair unveiled a new ‘Order to Seat’ feature allowing travelers to buy food and drink from their seat “and get served first.”

Add-on ancillaries are found at all airlines but are of critical importance to ultra-low-cost carriers such as Ryanair. The business model of low headline fares relies upon customers being upsold additional products before and during their journey to boost overall profitability.

At Ryanair alone, ancillary revenues raised more than €1 billion ($1.07bn) in the most recent third quarter, an increase of 10% year-on-year.

Ryanair Fights the 'Pirates'

The move forms part of a broader shift of how Ryanair interacts with third-party stakeholders. The airline had long chastised online travel agencies for scraping its fares and unilaterally charging higher prices, as well as booking fees and overcharging for ancillary services.

At the peak of the spat, Michael O'Leary, Ryanair Group CEO, famously described the companies as "OTA pirates."

Last year, the carrier made peace and partnered with a handful of agencies, including Expedia, lastminute.com, Kiwi, and Omio.

Speaking on Wednesday, Dara Brady, Ryanair's Chief Marketing Officer, insisted it is “time to transition the remaining passengers to digital,” highlighting the “massive switch” to mobile devices in other ticket-heavy industries. 

“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,” Brady added.

Ryanair suggests the move – which was first announced in August 2024 – will save more than 300 tonnes of paper each year.

The Ryanair Group also operates low-cost brands Lauda Air, Malta Air, and Buzz. It is the largest airline company in Europe by most metrics, including total passenger numbers.