PASSENGERS HOPING to fly with Ryanair this weekend have been urged to check in for their flights as soon as possible, ahead of a scheduled downtime period for the airline’s website.

The airline this afternoon said its website would be taken offline for extended periods over the weekend in order to allow for maintenance and improvement works, meaning passengers will not be able to check in online for those periods.

The online checkin facility will be disabled from 4pm on Friday afternoon until 12pm on Sunday lunchtime – meaning passengers intending to fly at the weekend will have to check in before Friday afternoon.

Passengers who are unable to check in online will have to do in person at the airport – and be hit with a €60 or £60 fee for doing so.

Anyone with bookings for flights this weekend – which could include travellers to the Heineken Cup final in London, and the UEFA Champions’ League final in Munich – can check in for their flights now using the Manage My Booking facility.

“Ryanair wishes to apologise to all passengers who may be affected by our website closure, which is unavoidable in order to upgrade the www.ryanair.com website,” the airline said.

The airline said the updated website, when completed, would work three times faster, and also offer SMS text alerts to inform passengers of delays to their flights.

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