Ryanair DELAYS controversial new boarding pass rule to avoid summer chaos

RYANAIR has confirmed that they have delayed the start date of when they will scrap printed boarding passes.

The airline announced last year the controversial plans to go 100 per cent paperless, with mobile boarding passes only.

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The airline initially said this would start in May 2025, potentially causing chaos during the summer holidays.

However, this has now been delayed to November 3, 2025.

This means Brits won't have to worry about making sure their boarding pass is downloaded when they go away this summer.

Ryanair CMO Dara Brady said: "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.

"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."

When the new rules are rolled out, passengers will only be able to get a digital boarding pass, with no check in desks able to print them out at the airport.

Ryanair claims that 80 per cent of their passengers - which is around 200million a year - already use digital boarding passes.

The move also means the much-hated boarding pass fee will be scrapped, which can see tourists charged £55 at the airport to print it if they forget.

Passengers will need to download the myRyanair app to get their boarding pass.

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary previously said: "Our goal is to eliminate check-in desks at the airport, just like we’ve done with luggage counters.

There are a few destinations Brits will still need to print out their boarding passes, however.

Anyone travelling to Morocco or Turkey will have to have a physical copy of their boarding pass as it needs to get stamped at the airport.

This is also the same for Tirana in Albania, a destination becoming much more popular after being called the 'Maldives of Europe'.

The Ryanair website states: "If you depart from a Moroccan airport, a digital boarding pass will not be accepted.

"You must carry a physical printout of your boarding pass, and you’ll need to present this boarding pass at the Moroccan airport check-in facility."

Some experts think boarding passes could be scrapped entirely in the next five years, in favour of biometric tech.

Tony Douglas, chief executive of the new airline Riyadh Air launching this year, said iris and fingerprint checks could be used instead.

Until then, here is why you never want to see SSSS on your boarding pass.

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