Morocco Blocks Ryanair’s Push for All-Digital Ticketing, Mandates Paper Tickets

The Moroccan authorities require airlines to print airline tickets, and there are no plans to change this for the time being, unless there is a turnaround in view of the 2030 World Cup.

Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, announced the end of physical check-in counters and the obligation for passengers to use the mobile app as early as next year. "We will eliminate check-in desks and then there will be no reason to charge people for check-in at the airport," he said during a conference in Dublin.

This radical measure, which aims to eliminate check-in fees at the airport, implies the elimination of any contact with Ryanair ground staff before passing through security checkpoints. To reassure passengers worried about running out of battery, the company claims to be able to use passport data registered online. However, passing through the security gates will necessarily require a smartphone and the Ryanair app to scan a QR code.

Currently, 60% of Ryanair passengers are already using the app. The company’s goal is to reach 80% by the end of the year. It remains to be seen how Ryanair plans to encourage the remaining 40% to adopt digital technology, knowing that the check-in fees, currently 65 euros, could skyrocket.