Ryanair abandons check-in desks in Europe

Michael O’Leary, Ryanair chief executive, said the airline would save €50m (£44.7m) a year by moving exclusively to online check-in, writes Kevin Done.

Ryanair is planning to abandon all check-in desks at its airports in Europe from October, keeping only a small number of desks for passengers to drop off bags to be carried in the hold.

Ryanair, the biggest short-haul carrier in Europe measured by passenger numbers, said it was planning to carry 67m passengers in the financial year to March 2010, up from 58m year ago.

It will be the first airline in Europe to abandon airport check-in as it seeks to drive down airport handling costs.

It is forcing passengers to change behaviour and has steadily increased charges for those with hold baggage. Mr O’Leary said the share of passengers with hold bags had been cut from 80 per cent before charges were imposed to about 25 per cent.

About 60 per cent of Ryanair passengers are already using online check-in and printing their own boarding cards.

Mr O’Leary said the move would transform the passenger experience at the airport, eliminating queues at check-in and shortening the time passengers needed to arrive before departures.

Aer Lingus, the Irish airline that has been under hostile takeover pressure from Ryanair for more than two years, has issued a profit warning and said trading conditions had deteriorated rapidly during the first three months of the year.