Holidaymakers heading for summer sun in 2026 could face airport trouble if they don't check boarding pass rules first. Many travellers rely on apps and digital wallets instead of paper passes, but some airlines and airports still require printed copies.
Rules vary by carrier. Some airlines accept only digital passes, others accept either, and certain airports still insist on paper regardless of the airline. Getting it wrong can cause delays, extra fees, or a frantic hunt for a printer.
Paper passes are fading but not gone everywhere
For years, UK flyers could choose: print at home, grab a paper copy at the airport, or show a code on their phone. Now airlines push digital by default, with paper as a backup — and that is where travellers get caught out.
Major UK airlines generally send boarding passes to phones first, but printing is still often allowed. British Airways accepts digital via the BA app and allows printing at home or airport kiosks. Jet2 accepts both paper and digital via its app or 'Manage My Booking'. TUI accepts printed and digital passes. Virgin Atlantic pushes digital but accepts paper and offers kiosk printing at hubs like Heathrow and Manchester.
easyJet and Wizz Air: It depends
easyJet allows mobile boarding passes for most passengers, but does not accept a PDF scan on your phone — you must use the free easyJet app. As of 2026, 21 airports in the easyJet network do not accept mobile boarding passes, meaning you need a printed pass when returning to the UK from: Egypt (Hurghada, Luxor, Marsa Alam, Cairo Sphinx, Sharm El Sheikh), Morocco (Agadir, Essaouira, Marrakesh, Rabat, Tangier), Turkey (Izmir, Antalya, Bodrum), Tunisia (Djerba, Enfidha), and others including Aqaba (Jordan), Belgrade (Serbia), Pristina (Kosovo), Tirana (Albania), Ivalo (Finland), and Sitia (Greece).
Wizz Air also has airports where mobile boarding passes are not supported: Agadir, Marrakesh, Cairo Sphinx, Zaragoza, and Tirana.
Ryanair: Fully digital summer
Ryanair presents the biggest change. Since November 2025, boarding passes are issued electronically in the Ryanair app after check-in — making 2026 the airline's first fully digital summer. Ryanair says its digital passes "get rid of 300 tonnes of paper annually" and lower airport costs and fares. Passengers still receive email reminders to check in online 48 and 24 hours before departure. If a passenger arrives at the airport without checking in online, they must pay the airport check-in fee. Ryanair adds that "special assistance is available at all airports" for passengers who need help with digital boarding passes and check-in.
