European country warns Ryanair cannot refuse paper boarding passes

A European country has warned that Ryanair cannot refuse paper boarding passes just days after the airline introduced its new rule.

Since 12 November, Ryanair requires all passengers to check in online before they arrive at the airport – or they risk a £55 fee. As part of this, customers generate a digital version of their boarding pass.

However, the new rule has been hit with some backlash and now Portugal has pushed against it, too.

The Portuguese Civil Aviation Authority released a statement after looking into the airline’s boarding pass regulations.

Officials said: ‘In order to verify the existence of any restrictions for passengers, ANAC analyzed not only the information provided by the carrier on its website but also the additional clarifications sent by Ryanair, following a request from ANAC.

‘It appears that Ryanair intends to guarantee all passenger rights, including those of passengers with disabilities, reduced mobility or who do not have a smartphone or tablet. 

‘It also intends not to apply a boarding pass reissue fee to those who have checked in online.’

But the authority went on to warn Ryanair that it must ‘refrain from any behaviour’ that might stop holidaymakers from boarding who have checked in but don’t have a digital pass.

The budget carrier switched to paperless boarding passes on November 12 and now requires passengers to download a digital version generated on the Ryanair app during check-in

It added the airline must not ‘Impose mandatory payment of fees for obtaining and using a physical (paper) boarding pass’.

Officials continued: ‘ANAC will continue to monitor the situation, fulfilling its mission to ensure safety and compliance with the rights of air transport passengers.’

The Daily Mail has approached Ryanair for comment.  

The move to digital could help ‘save approximately 300 tonnes of paper, eliminate airport check-in fees and allow passengers to get direct notifications on flights’ according to the airline. 

However, it’s expected to cause some trouble for people who don’t own mobile phones. 

A whopping 2.06 million Brits aged over 55 do not have one of the handy devices, according to MoneySuperMarket.

This equates to around 10 per cent of the age group. 

With the new rule, customers will have to use the digital boarding pass created by the myRyanair app after they check-in. 

However, the new rule has been hit with some backlash and now Portugal has pushed against it, too

MoneySuperMarket’s Alicia Hempsted said: ‘While in some senses this is great news, when it comes to cutting down on unnecessary waste and avoiding check-in fees, having a strict no boarding card policy means travellers need to be prepared to go digital.

‘If you’re used to printing off your boarding pass, make sure you’ve downloaded the Ryanair app and followed the steps to download your digital pass, or you could face delays when you get to the airport.’

Earlier this year, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary revealed that a high proportion of customers use mobile phones already and pushed for everyone to. 

‘At the moment, between 85 and 90 per cent of passengers show up with smartphones,’ Mr O’Leary said.

‘Almost 100 per cent of passengers have smartphones, and we want to move everybody onto that the smartphone technology.’

O’Leary also previously spoke out about older people using technology.

He shared that his 86-year-old mother uses the Ryanair app to travel after many accused the airline of ageism.

The Portuguese Civil Aviation Authority released a statement after looking into the airline’s boarding pass regulations. Pictured: Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary

Some charities oppose the shift, warning that digital-only flying will create challenges for older passengers and other individuals who may struggle with tech and smart devices.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, told The Telegraph that ‘companies must not forget the four million people who have never used the internet and the many others with limited digital skills who do not have a smartphone’.

She added that alternative booking methods and ways of showing tickets should be offered to those who ‘aren’t online’.

But Mr O’Leary maintains the change will not negatively affect specific groups of passengers so as long as they’re able to check in online in advance.