An estimated 4.5m passengers will be affected by the new Aer Lingus identification rules for all flights between Ireland and England and Scotland require a passport from yesterday.
Passengers including Irish and British nationals must now present a valid passport or Irish passport card at check in and boarding with driving licences and other photo identification no longer accepted on these routes.
The policy aligns the carrier with Ryanair and is said to ensure compliance with English electronic travel authorisation checks for non British and Irish travellers.
British Airways and the ferry companies still allow other forms of ID, such as dfrivnig licesnes, in lieu of passports on Welsh services.
Industry sources noted the change affects around 4.5m passengers annually on Ireland services and urged occasional flyers and business travellers to update their documents immediately to avoid boarding refusals.
