The Union of Students in Ireland has criticised a decision by Ryanair to remove the international student card from its list of acceptable photo IDs.
The airline said the move would simplify its identification requirements from passengers, who will now need either a valid passport, an EU national identity card or, in the case of travel between Ireland and the UK, a valid driving licence with photo.
A USI spokesman said the change might simplify things for Ryanair, but would make them more complicated for students.
The International Student Identity Card was recognised the world over, he added, and it was disappointing that the airline had dropped it without consulting the union.