The Ryanair baggage drop deadline will change from 40 minutes to 60 minutes before scheduled departure from November 10, requiring passengers travelling with checked luggage to hand over their bags earlier at every airport the airline operates from.
The change means passengers will have 20 minutes less time to complete the baggage drop process than under the current rules. Ryanair first announced the revised deadline in April, explaining that the additional time would help passengers clear airport security and passport control and reach their departure gates before boarding begins.
According to the airline, approximately 20 per cent of its passengers check in luggage. The revised Ryanair baggage drop deadline is intended to give these travellers more time to navigate airport queues, particularly during busy travel periods when security checks and passport control can take longer.
“This small change will give the 20% of Ryanair passengers who check in a bag, more time to clear airport security and passport control queues and get to their departure gate before boarding begins, particularly during busy travel periods when airport queues can be longer,” Ryanair chief marketing officer Dara Brady said.
The airline has reminded passengers using airport baggage drop services to arrive in good time and complete both check-in and baggage drop before the new 60-minute cutoff. Travellers who are accustomed to arriving at the airport less than an hour before departure will need to adjust their plans if they have luggage to check.
Passengers should also distinguish between the baggage drop deadline and the time they need to arrive at the airport. The new rule sets the latest time for handing over checked luggage, but it does not guarantee that arriving 60 minutes before departure will leave enough time for every stage of the airport process. Queues, passport checks and the distance to the departure gate can all affect how long the journey through the airport takes.
The Ryanair baggage drop deadline change comes as the airline continues to make headlines over wider developments affecting European air travel. On October 21, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary told Euronews that he expected Europe to experience the biggest increase in airfares in its history over the following 12 months.
O’Leary argued that airlines could face higher jet fuel costs from April 2027, with some of the additional expense potentially passed on to passengers through higher ticket prices. He suggested that fare increases could reach 20 per cent. These figures represent his forecast rather than a confirmed increase across the European airline industry.
The Ryanair chief executive also predicted that airline bankruptcies and takeovers could reduce the number of seats available to travellers as carriers face financial pressure linked to fuel costs.
Separately, Ryanair announced plans to cut the number of routes it operates to Belgium in response to the country’s planned aviation tax increase. The tax is scheduled to rise from 2 euros to 7 euros in January 2027.
Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, operates routes across the continent and has bases in several major cities, including Dublin, its headquarters, as well as Marseille, Berlin, Athens, Milan and Barcelona.
For passengers with checked luggage, the immediate change is straightforward: bags must be handed over at least 60 minutes before the scheduled departure time from November 10. Travellers should check Ryanair’s official baggage and check-in guidance before flying and allow additional time for airport procedures, rather than relying on the previous 40-minute deadline.
