Need to know
Major airlines and some airports have different stances on bringing paper tickets to the airport
Boarding pass rules: What Brits need to know before flying in 2026.
- British holidaymakers risk having their trips ruined if they don’t check their airline’s boarding pass policies before heading to the airport. Some major airlines are ditching paper boarding passes altogether in favour of digital options.
- Budget carrier Ryanair has gone fully digital since November 2025. Passengers must now use the Ryanair app to receive their boarding passes electronically.
- The airline claims its digital boarding passes “get rid of 300 tonnes of paper annually”. It says it contributes to “lower airport costs and fares for all Ryanair passengers”.
- EasyJet accepts digital tickets via its free app, but doesn’t allow phone scans of PDFs. However, 21 airports in the easyJet network still require printed passes for UK-bound travellers.
- Wizz Air also has five destinations that don’t support mobile boarding passes, meaning passengers need paper copies. Travellers are urged to check their airline’s specific policies for both outbound and return flights to avoid being caught out at check-in.
READ THE FULL STORY: Paper boarding pass rules for all major UK airlines in 2026
