Portugal’s National Civil Aviation Authority has directed Ryanair to accept paper boarding passes at airports within the country one week after the airline enforced its digital-only policy across Europe.
The airline introduced the policy on 12 November and required passengers to present boarding passes via the Ryanair app on smartphones.
Ryanair stated that 98pc of passengers complied with the digital requirement, and the company issued paper versions without charge to those who completed online check-in but arrived without a digital pass.
ANAC issued a statement after reviewing Ryanair’s procedures, informed the airline that it must allow boarding for any passenger with a confirmed reservation and completed check-in regardless of whether the pass is digital or printed, and prohibited Ryanair from charging a €55 fee for paper passes in such cases. Ryanair has immediately complied with the Portuguese directive at local airports.
Michael O’Leary shared “passengers who check in online receive paper passes free at desks. Gate staff verify sequence numbers even if a device fails.”
