Airlines Plan To Remove Paper Boarding Pass, Reap Criticism

Illustration of boarding passes (Pexels/RDNE Stock Project)

JAKARTA - Currently, airlines are reaping attention regarding plans to remove paper-shaped boarding passes, and switch entirely to digital. Like Ryanair airline which confirmed to implement the rules starting November 12, 2025.

Quoted from The Stuff, on Friday, September 26, 2026, the move was taken to ensure a smooth transition for customers during the less busy travel period. All customers are required to download the Ryanair application and use the digital boarding pass available there.

A faster, smarter, and more environmentally friendly travel experience for our customers, which is simplified through the app," Ryanair's Chief Commercial Officer, Dara Brady, said.

However, this move has drawn controversy and flood criticism from a number of parties. Highlights are given to elderly tourists who may not have smartphones or who have difficulty using technology.

"This is an embarrassing move. They effectively say they don't want parents as passengers. There are strong arguments that say this is discriminatory," said Silver Voices Director Dennis Reed.

Not only that, it is possible that the cellphone used runs out of battery, the internert connection is not smooth and is also said to cause problems if the boarding pass is completely diverted to digital.

However, regarding this matter, Ryanair CEO, Michael O'Leary, said that if there is a problem with tourist phones, his party already has a way to deal with it. Tourists are only asked to make sure they have checked in, so their flight will continue to run smoothly.

If you lose your phone, it doesn't matter, but make sure it's checked-in before it arrives at the airport. Also if your battery runs out or something happens, after you check-in, we'll have your serial number on the boarding gate, and you keep going up. So no one needs to worry about that," concluded O'Leary.