Documentation requirements for flights from Italy to the EU and Schengen Areas are suspended.

To board a flight in Italy or the European Union, you will no longer need to show your ID to airline staff. You will simply need to present your boarding pass if you're flying to Schengen countries. You will need to show your ID for all other destinations outside the free travel area.

The new measure, announced by ENAC (Italian National Authority for Civil Aviation), following recent approval from the Ministry of the Interior, aims to streamline procedures by reducing the bureaucracy of this practice, which affects millions of citizens transiting through airports. However, this new measure has left consumers unimpressed, fearing security repercussions.

The change would affect approximately 51 million Italian passengers traveling to Schengen Area countries and would reduce the length of boarding checks by 50%. At Italian airports, ENAC confirmed after press reports, it is no longer mandatory to show an identification document along with the boarding pass at the gate for all domestic and European flights. According to Pierluigi Di Palma, President of the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, the documents must, however, always be carried and available for any checks. All security checks remain in place. "There's a lot of wasted time due to bureaucracy. By removing the requirement, boarding will also be quicker," Di Palma explained.

"As a trade union, anything that streamlines and facilitates access to air travel is welcome, as there is undoubtedly a competition with trains, where access is easier," comments Ivan Viglietti, general secretary of Uil Trasporti, emphasizing, however, that "these measures must be accompanied by other security measures, such as facial recognition and improved training and treatment for security personnel." The practice is already widespread in Germany and other European countries, while Ireland and Cyprus, which are not part of the Schengen area, are excluded.

"ENAC's decision to eliminate the requirement to present ID at boarding gates at Italian airports leaves us completely astonished," states Codacons. "We want to understand the process followed to reach this decision and what discussions have been initiated to assess the impact of such a change," the association explains. "Removing the requirement to present ID at airports poses several challenges: for example, it would allow passengers to use third-party boarding passes, or to board a plane in disguise, completely concealing their identity." "We agree with ENAC on the need to streamline and simplify all boarding procedures, but air travel security comes before the speed of airport procedures." However, "Before implementing such revolutionary measures, we believe it is right to open a discussion among all stakeholders, in order to offer the necessary guarantees to air passengers, especially at this time when geopolitical crises could reignite the scourge of terrorism."

"We are surprised and concerned to learn of ENAC's decision, endorsed by the Ministry of the Interior, to eliminate the requirement to show an identity document upon boarding for domestic flights and flights to Schengen Area countries. Although this measure is already in place in some European countries, we believe it is essential to understand the reasons behind this decision and its implications for passenger safety and rights," said Gabriele Melluso, president of Assoutenti. "In an international context characterized by growing concerns about security and the management of migration flows, such a change to boarding procedures raises legitimate questions. It is essential to ensure that the adoption of new practices does not compromise the safety of citizens and does not introduce unequal treatment among passengers." Assoutenti therefore requests "an urgent meeting with ENAC President Pierluigi Di Palma to obtain clarification on the reasons for this decision and the measures envisaged to ensure that consumer rights are fully protected."