New Ryanair check-in rule to end budget air travel as we know it from next year

is set to revolutionise the check-in game by scrapping airport desks, pushing passengers towards a fully digital experience.

The airline's boss, has declared his intention to ditch the traditional check-in counters within six months, in a bid to streamline operations and cut costs. At a press event in Dublin, the CEO explained: "We will get rid of ticket desks and then there's no reason to charge people for airport check-in.

"We want to get rid of airport checks in the same way we got rid of bag [desks]. We are working towards from May 1 that everything will be done on the app, nothing will be done on paper anymore."

Mr O'Leary predicts a complete switch to the app by next year: "It will probably be around April or May of next year, after Easter. I think from May next year it will be 100% the app. I have been reluctant to go on the app because I am terrified to get on a flight without a piece of paper, but it works so well. It tells you your gate and if there is a delay", reports .

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He also noted the shift in customer behaviour: "The customers who want the piece of paper are the same demographic that when we first moved over to the internet they wouldn't move over but were then the first ones to switch to the internet for cheaper airfares."

Currently, 60% of Ryanair's customers use the app for check-in, with expectations that this figure will soar to 80% by 2025.

"If your battery dies we have your seat and your passport and we can do that at the boarding gates at the moment. We sometimes do that if someone's phone doesn't scan for some reason. Once we have the name and passport that's fine but everyone will be on the app," he added.

He also addressed concerns around the digital divide, especially for the elderly who may struggle with smartphone or lack internet access, hindering their ability to check-in online.

Compounding the issue is the fact that airports often require scanning of boarding passes post-online check-in even before proceeding through security, creating a catch-22 scenario where one cannot reach the boarding gates to check-in without already having checked in.

Last year the budget airline boss claimed that airport ticket desks cost Ryanair "a fortune" to rent out and staff to help the 0.2% of customers he claimed failed to check-in. “We don’t want the money, we just don’t want anybody showing up the airport without having checked in online. It’s a very simple policy. It’s like arriving at the check-in gate with an oversized bag. You will not get it on board. We will charge you £60 or £70 not because we want the money. We just don’t want your bag," Mr O'Leary said at the time.