Travellers flying with Ryanair will now have to specifically ask for travel insurance, due to new EU regulations.
Ryanair is advising its customers that they will have to "opt in" for travel insurance when they buy tickets online with the firm.
In the past, Ryanair passengers would automatically receive cover when they purchased over the internet, unless they specifically chose not to receive it.
However, due to new EU regulations which came into effect yesterday, travel insurance will be deemed to be an optional extra and customers will be required to select it if they want it.
"Ryanair carried 58 million passengers last year and our preloaded insurance did not cause any problems as 90 percent of passengers - those who did not want insurance - simply opted out," said company spokesman Stephen McNamara.
The change in the rules was announced by the European Commission late last year and was part of a wider move to make prices more transparent for consumers. Other measures were designed to ensure passengers see the full break down of their costs, including taxes and surcharges.
"Fair competition is the key to success: with price transparency, passengers will know in advance how much they are going to pay and will be able to make informed choices," said Antonio Tajani, European commissioner for transport.
