Ryanair Passengers Suffer Higher Fall Rate on Integrated Stairs: Italian Study

A new study by Italy's aviation accident investigation authority has found that passengers using integrated stairs on Ryanair Boeing 737s have suffered falls at a significantly higher rate than those using conventional airport stairs.

The Italian Flight Safety Agency examined 104 reported passenger falls during boarding and disembarkation in Italy between 2023 and 2025, with around 82% involving the integrated stairs of Boeing 737 aircraft operated by Ryanair. This concentration is notable because Ryanair accounted for only 26-27% of passengers using Italian airports during that period.

The study found that the rate of falls involving Ryanair's integrated stairs was at least twice that associated with airport-provided stairs, and considerably higher depending on the dataset. The main differences between these stairs and mobile airport stairs are their narrower width (around 61-62 cm) and steeper configuration.