What Happened
Aer Lingus has announced a significant change to its travel policy, requiring all passengers traveling between Great Britain and Ireland to carry valid passports starting from 25 February 2026. This new rule aligns Aer Lingus with Ryanair, which has enforced similar passport requirements for several years.
Why It Matters
The change comes as part of the airline’s efforts to standardize travel document requirements across its network and improve operational performance. Previously, under the Common Travel Area (CTA) agreement, Irish and British citizens could travel without passports, using alternative forms of photo identification. However, Aer Lingus will no longer accept these alternatives, such as driver’s licenses, for travel between the UK and Ireland.
What’s Next
Passengers planning to travel on Aer Lingus and Aer Lingus Regional services will need to ensure they possess a valid passport or Irish passport card. Notably, domestic services operated by Aer Lingus Regional, such as routes between Belfast and the UK or Dublin and Donegal, will remain exempt from this updated policy. This change is expected to affect many travelers and may lead to increased scrutiny at airports.
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