Ryanair has become the first airline in Europe to ditch paper boarding passes altogether, switching to a digital-only system from 12 November.
The low-cost Irish carrier, which operates in Belgium from Charleroi and Zaventem airports, announced that passengers will now need to use the digital boarding pass generated in the "myRyanair" app when checking in. Printed passes can no longer be downloaded or used at the gate.
The company says the change will make flying "faster, smarter and more environmentally friendly" for passengers.
Ryanair had initially planned to introduce the measure in May, then postponed it to early November before settling on 12 November, a quieter period following the autumn holidays.
According to the airline, around 80% of its 206 million annual passengers already use digital passes.
But not everyone is pleased with the move. Belgian consumer group Testachats has criticised the decision as "discriminatory", arguing that it excludes passengers who do not own smartphones.
The new rule applies across all Ryanair routes and airports in Europe, marking another step in the company's ongoing digital transformation, and another headache for those still clinging to paper.
