Ryanair will go 100% paperless from September 3, the start of its winter schedule, when all boarding passes will go digital.

Passes will be generated via the myRyanair ap and paper print outs will no longer be an option, a blow for many of the older generation who prefer ‘belt and braces’ – pieces of paper in case the phone breaks down or the internet crashes.

However, Ryanair has confirmed that 80 percent of its 200 million passengers already use the digital boarding pass so the change should not be too onerous.

By doing this, Ryanair expects to eliminate most check-in costs at airports and save “over 300 tons of paper waste per year”, according to a recent press release.

The Ryanair App

If you’re not already familiar with the app, you should find it useful. It informs passengers in real time about updates, delays and disruptions to their flight, allowing them to quickly book alternative flights and accommodation if necessary, and groups together all relevant travel documents in one folder, so passengers aren’t fumbling around trying to balance passport, carte de séjour, inward and outward boarding passes, the kitchen sink….

As a forerunner of cheap flights, Ryanair also hopes to inspire other airlines to follow with similar initiatives and challenge traditional processes.