The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Study: You're More Likely To Have An Accident On Ryanair's Retractable Airstairs
While retractable airstairs aren’t unique to Ryanair’s Boeing 737 aircraft, the airline group is certainly one of the largest users of this feature. Indeed, aircraft flying around with their own airstairs allows for quicker boarding and offloading, particularly at remote stands - where other aircraft would need to wait for airport services to arrive.But a study by Italy’s agency for flight safety has concluded that passengers who have used them have faced a significantly higher risk of falling than those using stairs provided by airports.
A study by Italy’s agency for flight safety has concluded that passengers who have used Ryanair’s retractable airstairs have faced a significantly higher risk of falling than those using stairs provided by airports.
Ryanair operates Boeing 737 aircraft equipped with retractable airstairs, a feature that supports quicker boarding and offloading at remote stands where airport services may be slower to arrive.
The findings focus on safety outcomes for passengers using the airline’s own airstairs versus airport-provided stairs, highlighting an increased fall risk in the former group.
The report notes that retractable airstairs are not unique to Ryanair, but the airline group is among the largest users of this feature in commercial aviation.
No details are provided about the specific study methodology, participants, dates, injuries, or other outcomes within the supplied material.
The article emphasizes the general use of these stairs for efficiency at remote stands, without attributing causes or broader conclusions beyond the reported fall risk.