Ryanair with a new rule that is not favorable to everyone

Low-cost airline Ryanair is introducing a new policy that has prompted travelers to complain – and not necessarily in a good way.

From November 3, 2025, passengers will no longer be allowed to board flights with printed boarding passes. Instead, the airline is transitioning to a fully digital format, requiring the use of mobile devices for check-in and boarding.

Goodbye paper tickets, hello smartphones

Ryanair's plan is simple: no more physical boarding passes. The move, originally planned for the spring but postponed, is set to come into effect this autumn. From then on, the only way to board a Ryanair flight will be via a digital boarding pass on your smartphone – accessed via the airline's own mobile app.

Although the company positions this decision as part of efforts to increase efficiency and environmental sustainability, critics say it is a thinly veiled attempt to steer users towards its app and the additional services it promotes.

The “green” rationale – and the fine print

According to Ryanair, the move to digital boarding could reduce paper waste by around 300 tonnes per year, and with 80% of its passengers already using digital tickets, the airline claims it is only encouraging the last few who are still hesitant to do so. Through the myRyanair app, passengers can also access flight updates, seat availability information and submit complaints, making it a single point of contact for the travel experience.

But there's one catch: What happens if your phone breaks? Or if your battery dies after security? The airline has yet to explain how its staff will handle cases where passengers can't show their mobile boarding passes at the gate. This has raised concerns about accessibility, contingency planning, and how far the digital inclusion policy should go.

Is it about comfort or control?

For many passengers, the new rule feels more like an incentive for control than a step towards convenience. The requirement for a boarding app also directs users directly into Ryanair’s digital ecosystem, where upselling of additional services is at the forefront. From priority seating and baggage options to insurance offers, the app is increasingly focused less on simplicity and more on maximizing profit.

It’s a strategy that fits with Ryanair’s long-standing reputation for cutting costs and increasing profits. While traveling exclusively on paper-based digital transportation may seem efficient, it also introduces new barriers – particularly for older travelers, those without smartphones, or anyone who simply prefers a printed backup.

One model does not fit all.

While digital solutions make sense in many travel scenarios, forcing every traveler to use a single model can backfire for some. Imagine, for example, arriving at the gate and discovering that you’ve lost your phone, it’s broken – or your screen has shattered during security. Without a paper ticket, there’s no alternative flight.

So far, Ryanair has not said what will happen in these extreme cases. Will staff make exceptions? Will passengers be stuck rebooking flights and paying for the costs? Ryanair's silence speaks for itself. And as November approaches, many passengers are closely watching how the airline will deal with these inevitable situations.

A future where adaptability matters

Being environmentally friendly is a noble goal, and reducing waste in aviation is a must. But a sustainable future must also be inclusive, resilient, and adaptable. Forcing an all-digital boarding process can simplify an airline’s operations, but it risks alienating passengers who expect reliability and support, not additional headaches at the gate.