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Portuguese authorities have taken action against RyanairDecision to ban paper boarding passes.
Europe’s largest budget airline has said that passengers Your boarding pass must be shown on the Ryanair app on your smartphone Instead of printing your boarding passes at home.
The airline says the move will mean “an improved customer experience for the last remaining passengers still using paper”.
In response, Portugal’s National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) has instructed airlines to accept printed documents, waive reissue fees, and ensure “no passenger is left behind” if their phone battery dies.
In a statement seen by IndependentANAC confirmed that it had contacted the airline for “additional clarification” regarding the move.
“It appears that Ryanair intends to guarantee all passenger rights, including those disabled passenger, those with reduced mobility or who do not have a smartphone or tablet,” it noted.
ANAC said it had informed Ryanair that it should not prevent passengers with confirmed flight reservations (and who have checked in) from boarding because they do not have a digital boarding pass, nor charge any fee for obtaining and using a physical (paper) boarding pass.
“ANAC will continue to monitor the situation while fulfilling its mission to ensure compliance with the safety and rights of air transport passengers,” the statement said.
The announcement follows comments shared by Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary IndependentTravel correspondent, Simon Calder, last week.
“The big concern people have is: What if my battery dies or I lose my phone?” He said.
“If you lose your phone, no problem. As long as you have checked in before you arrive at the airport, we will issue a paper boarding pass at the airport for free. But you must check in before you arrive at the airport.
“Also, if your battery runs out or something happens, once you check in, we’ll get your sequence number at the boarding gate. We’ll pick you up, you’ll board. So no one has to worry about that. Just make sure you check in online before you reach the airport, and then everything will be fine.”
Read more: Ryanair Digital Boarding Pass: Passengers and the airline decide