Ryanair will stop accepting paper boarding passes from 12 November, the Irish low-cost carrier announced on Wednesday. From that date, only digital passes will be valid for boarding.
The airline, which operates from Charleroi and Brussels airports in Belgium, has long sought to phase out printed boarding passes. An initial switch had been planned for May, later pushed back to 3 November, before being set for a final implementation on 12 November.
The timing coincides with the end of the autumn holiday period, traditionally a quieter moment for airports.
"Passengers will no longer be able to download or print paper boarding passes," Ryanair said. "To board, they will need to use the digital boarding pass generated in the myRyanair app during check-in."
The carrier said 80% of its more than 206 million passengers already travel without a paper pass. Digital alternatives, it added, offer "a faster, smarter and more environmentally friendly travel experience."
Consumer group Testachats has criticised the decision, calling it "a discriminatory practice" and "a new step in excluding people without a smartphone."
