Boarding pass suffices at gate for flights in Italy and Schengen area now.Air travellers in Italy can now board domestic flights and those within Europe's Schengen border-free travel area with just their boarding pass, the Italian civil aviation agency ENAC said.The new rules, approved by Italy's interior ministry and already in effect, mean that passengers no longer need to show their passports or ID cards at the gate when boarding these flights. The move, designed to speed up the boarding process without compromising security, was confirmed on Thursday by ENAC chief Pierluigi Di Palma to the Corriere della Sera newspaper. "Airports are secure places, and it is time to treat air travel the same as train travel" - Di Palma said - "There's a lot of wasted time due to bureaucratic procedures. By removing this requirement, boarding will also be quicker." Anyone entering the security area of an airport has already been screened at the usual security checks, passing through metal detectors and security gates. Di Palma clarified however that passports or ID cards "should not be left at home" and must be available to show during spot security checks, otherwise "they won't be allowed to board". The new rule affects flights departing from Italy to countries in the Schengen area, the free movement of goods and people zone encompassing most European Union (EU) countries (excluding Ireland and Cyprus) as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. ID checks will remain in place at the gate for flights from Italy outside the Schengen area, such as to the United Kingdom. Consumer group Codacons said in a statement that was "completely astonished" by the move, saying that it "poses several critical issues: for example, it would allow passengers to use third-party boarding passes or to board a plane in disguise, completely hiding their identity." "We agree with ENAC on the need to streamline and simplify all boarding procedures but air travel safety comes before the speed of airport procedures", Codacons stated, calling for dialogue with all stakeholders "before implementing such revolutionary measures".

Air travellers in Italy can now board domestic flights and those within Europe's Schengen border-free travel area with just their boarding pass, the Italian civil aviation agency ENAC said. The new rules, approved by Italy's interior ministry and already in effect, mean that passengers no longer need to show their passports or ID cards at the gate when boarding these flights. The move, designed to speed up the boarding process without compromising security, was confirmed on Thursday by ENAC chief Pierluigi Di Palma to the newspaper. "Airports are secure places, and it is time to treat air travel the same as train travel" - Di Palma said - "There's a lot of wasted time due to bureaucratic procedures. By removing this requirement, boarding will also be quicker." Anyone entering the security area of an airport has already been screened at the usual security checks, passing through metal detectors and security gates. Di Palma clarified however that passports or ID cards "should not be left at home" and must be available to show during spot security checks, otherwise "they won't be allowed to board". The new rule affects flights departing from Italy to countries in the , the free movement of goods and people zone encompassing most European Union (EU) countries (excluding Ireland and Cyprus) as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. ID checks will remain in place at the gate for flights from Italy outside the Schengen area, such as to . Consumer group Codacons said in that was "completely astonished" by the move, saying that it "poses several critical issues: for example, it would allow passengers to use third-party boarding passes or to board a plane in disguise, completely hiding their identity." "We agree with ENAC on the need to streamline and simplify all boarding procedures but air travel safety comes before the speed of airport procedures", Codacons stated, calling for dialogue with all stakeholders "before implementing such revolutionary measures".