Ryanair boss defends digital boarding passes and says his 86-year-old mum uses app - as he explains what will happen if your phone dies

Ryanair's boss has defended the company's use of digital boarding passes, saying older people will adapt to the system.

Michael O'Leary has said that his 86-year-old mother uses the Ryanair app to travel.

The airline confirmed earlier this week that it will move to 100 per cent digital boarding passes from November 12.

It means passengers will no longer be able to download and print a physical paper boarding pass but will instead need to use the digital boarding pass generated in the Ryanair app.

But it has been met with criticism, with many accusing the airline of ageism.

Campaigners representing older travellers have opposed the plans, calling it a 'disgraceful move' and accusing the airline of putting profits above the needs of some of its customers. 

In response to the criticism, Mr O'Leary told reporters on Thursday he was 'amazed by the outrage'.

He explained his support for the new scheme - and addressed a key concern: what will happen if your phone dies.

The 64-year-old said: 'I'm old, and I travel from Ryanair on a very, very regular basis, and I use the Ryanair app, it is pretty simple, pretty easy to use.'

He said 'nobody would be cut off at the knees' and the airline would be 'reasonably forgiving' of people showing up with paper boarding passes through Christmas and into January, Belfast Live reported.

'The critical thing: If you've checked online before you get there and you lose your phone, we'll have your name in the system,' he said.

'We will manually board you at the boarding gate so if your phone goes off, you lose your phone, your phone gets stolen, it is not going to make any issue as long as you checked in online before you got the boarding gate, which, by the way, would eliminate all the check-in fees at the airport.' 

Mr O'Leary, who said his 86-year-old mother uses the Ryanair app, claimed it was a 'myth' that older people could not transition to changes in technology. 

He said: 'Actually, what you find is the old people firstly just get their kids or grandkids to make bookings for them, and then pretty quickly they're adopting it themselves. 

'And it is slightly patronising, this notion that old people can't and won't move to mobile technology or to the apps.' 

He said he is confident the older generation will adapt to the new system. 

Ryanair chief marketing officer Dara Brady said: 'To ensure a seamless transition to 100 per cent digital boarding passes for our customers, we will make the switch from November 12, which is traditionally a slightly quieter time for travel following the busy mid-term break period. 

'Ryanair’s move to 100 per cent digital boarding passes will mean a faster, smarter, and greener travel experience for our customers, streamlined through our best-in-class “myRyanair” app, where passengers will also benefit from helpful in-app features, like Order to Seat and live flight information.'

Almost 80 per cent of Ryanair’s 206 million passengers already use digital boarding passes, according to a statement from the airline. 

Ryanair’s move to fully digital boarding passes follows other key tickets industries (such as festivals, music, and sport events) which have successfully switched to digital-only ticketing.