Italian study links Ryanair retractable airstairs to higher fall risk

Italy's flight safety agency has concluded that passengers using Ryanair's retractable airstairs are more likely to fall than those using stairs supplied by airports.

Ryanair's Boeing 737 fleet is not the only one with retractable airstairs, but the airline group is among the largest operators of the feature. The built-in stairs let aircraft board and unload passengers faster, particularly at stands away from terminal buildings, where other jets must wait for ground services to bring equipment out to them.

The agency's finding covers the risk to passengers who have used the built-in stairs, which it says is significantly greater than the risk associated with airport-provided alternatives.