Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links below. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
Ryanair announced today that it will transition to 100% digital boarding passes starting Wednesday, November 12th. The decision moves the launch date back by nine days (from its original November 3rd target) to ensure a seamless transition for travelers. After November 12th, Ryanair passengers will no longer be able to download or print paper boarding passes. Instead, all travelers must use the digital boarding pass generated within the mobile app during the check-in process to board their flights.
Ryanair Group CEO, Michael O’Leary, revealed back in October 2024 that the airline’s check-in process would be changing and that time is nearly here. This milestone marks a significant step in Ryanair’s ongoing digital transformation strategy and aligns with other industries that have already moved to digital-only ticketing, such as music festivals, concerts, and sporting events. Currently, around 80% of Ryanair’s 206 million annual passengers use the app for their boarding passes. By going fully digital, Ryanair aims to streamline boarding, reduce paper waste, and improve efficiency across its network of airports.
The transition to digital-only boarding passes builds on Ryanair’s introduction of new app-based tools designed to improve the travel experience and provide more support during disruptions. Other examples include:
- Order to Seat: Passengers can order food and drinks directly through their phone and receive priority service during the flight.
- Live Flight Information: Real-time updates on boarding, gate changes, and delays keep passengers informed throughout their journey.
- Direct Disruption Updates: Notifications sent directly from Ryanair’s Operations Centre provide immediate updates during periods of irregular operations.
The elimination of paper boarding passes will reduce paper waste and support Ryanair’s broader sustainability initiatives. Going digital also enables faster check-in and boarding processes to help improve operational performance at airports across Europe.
Ryanair CMO, Dara Brady, said:
To ensure a seamless transition to 100% digital boarding passes for our customers, we will make the switch from Wednesday, November 12th, which is traditionally a slightly quieter time for travel following the busy mid-term break period. Ryanair’s move to 100% digital boarding passes will mean a faster, smarter, and greener travel experience for our customers, streamlined through our best-in-class ‘myRyanair’ app, where passengers will also benefit from helpful in-app features, like Order to Seat and live flight information.”
Anthony’s Take: It has been years since I have used a paper boarding pass with a US airline. I like this initiative and think it’s time to do away with the wasteful paper.
(Image Credits: Ryanair.)
User Generated Content Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.
Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
