Ryanair bag drop desks to close 60 minutes before departure from 10 November

Ryanair passengers who check bags at the airport will have to hand them over earlier from Tuesday 10 November. In a reminder published on 27 October 2026, the airline said its bag drop desks will close 60 minutes before scheduled departure, instead of the current 40 minutes, at all airports where it operates.

The change was first announced in April. According to Ryanair, it concerns about 20% of its passengers, those who check bags at the airport; the other 80%, who check in online and travel without checked bags, are not affected. The airline asks passengers to make sure their bags are checked and handed over at least 60 minutes before departure and to arrive at the airport early enough to do so.

Ryanair says the earlier cut-off gives passengers with checked bags more time to clear security and passport controls and reach the gate before boarding starts, especially at busy times. It also expects the measure to reduce the small number of missed flights caused by delays at security or passport checks. The statement was attributed to Dara Brady, the airline's Marketing Director.

The reminder does not explain how individual airports will apply the new deadline or what options remain for passengers who reach the desk after it has closed. Travellers with checked bags should confirm the deadline shown for their booking and allow extra time for queues at security and border control, particularly on busy travel days.