Ryanair Boeing 737 airstairs linked to high passenger fall rates

A study by the Italian National Agency for Flight Safety (ANSV) has identified a significant safety risk associated with the integrated retractable airstairs on Ryanair’s Boeing 737 aircraft. The report, published in August 2026, analyzed passenger falls during boarding and disembarking in Italy between 2023 and 2025.

Of the 104 reported fall incidents in Italy during this period, 85 involved passengers using the Boeing 737’s integrated front stairs, accounting for 82 percent of cases. In comparison, other airlines, which collectively accounted for 73 percent of passenger traffic in Italy, recorded only 19 falls.

The issue extends beyond Italy. Since 2021, Ryanair has recorded 489 falls from stairs, with 360—or 73 percent—occurring on the Boeing 737’s integrated system. The ANSV noted that this rate is triple the number of falls recorded when using standard airport boarding platforms. The integrated stairs are used to reduce ground handling costs and turnaround times, but the study suggests they pose a higher risk to passengers than airport-provided mobile stairs.