Ryanair’s first day of fully digital boarding passes deemed a success amid criticism over accessibility

Ryanair marked a major milestone on 12 November as it became Europe’s first airline to go fully digital, eliminating paper boarding passes except in limited cases. The rollout of the Digital Boarding Pass (DBP) system saw over 700 flights and 100,000 passengers travel without delays or disruptions on day one. According to the airline, 98% of passengers successfully presented their digital passes, while the remaining 2%—all of whom had checked in online—received paper passes free of charge at airport desks.

Ryanair hailed the transition as a “huge success,” citing smoother boarding, a better passenger experience, and potential annual savings of €40 million, which it says will help lower fares. The airline also claims the move supports a faster, smarter, and more environmentally friendly travel experience, noting that 80% of its 206 million passengers already use digital passes.

However, the change has sparked criticism from consumer protection groups, particularly in Belgium. Testachats/Testaankoop labelled the policy “discriminatory,” arguing that it excludes passengers who do not own smartphones or who are unwilling to install the Ryanair app. The organisation warned that the policy risks “excluding people who don’t own a smartphone,” though Ryanair maintains that passengers who check in online can still receive a free paper boarding pass at the airport if needed.

Paper boarding passes will also remain available in countries where digital check-in is not supported, including Morocco and Turkey. Despite the criticism, Ryanair insists that customer feedback from the first day was “universally positive” and that the system worked without issue across its European network.