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Last updated 10 November 2026. Rule details come from Ryanair’s own announcements and Help Centre; always check your booking and the Ryanair app before you fly.
Short answer: from Tuesday 10 November 2026, Ryanair’s airport check-in and bag drop close 60 minutes before scheduled departure, instead of 40 minutes. The change applies at all Ryanair airports. If you are checking a bag, it must be dropped at least an hour before take-off. If you travel with cabin bags only and check in online, nothing changes for you.
Ryanair says roughly 20% of its passengers check in a bag, so most travellers will not notice. Families are a different story: one checked suitcase for four people is a very common setup, and those extra 20 minutes now come off the front of your airport day, not the end. This guide explains what changed, who is affected, and how to plan the airport run with kids.
What exactly changed on 10 November 2026
Ryanair first announced the change on 22 April 2026 (Ryanair corporate news) and reminded passengers again on 27 October (Ryanair reminder). Its Help Centre states it plainly: from Tuesday 10 November 2026, airport check-in and bag drop close 60 minutes prior to scheduled departure, up from 40 minutes.
| Before 10 Nov 2026 | From 10 Nov 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport check-in and bag drop close | 40 min before departure | 60 min before departure |
| Where it applies | All Ryanair airports | All Ryanair airports |
| Cabin-bag-only passengers who check in online | Go straight to security | Unchanged: go straight to security |
Ryanair CMO Dara Brady, quoted by The Independent on 10 November and in Ryanair’s own release: “This small change will give the 20 per cent 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.”
Why Ryanair moved bag drop to 60 minutes
The airline’s stated reason is queues. Passengers who drop a bag late still have to get through security and, on many routes, passport control before boarding starts. Ryanair says the earlier cut-off should reduce the “small number” of passengers who miss flights because they get stuck in those queues.
In the April announcement, Ryanair also said it was installing self-service bag-drop kiosks at over 95% of its airports by October, integrated with the Ryanair app so you can check in bags and print bag tags yourself (source).
Who is affected (and who is not)
- Affected: anyone who has paid for a checked bag and drops it at the airport, plus anyone who needs airport check-in.
- Not affected: passengers with cabin bags only who check in online before arriving. Ryanair says this group, about 80% of its passengers, continues to go straight through security to the gate.
- Still required for everyone: online check-in before you travel to the airport, as before.
For families, the practical point is simple: if even one person in your booking has a checked bag, the whole group’s airport timing is now set by the 60-minute cut-off, because you will usually drop the bag together before heading to security.
How early should you get to the airport now?
Ryanair’s instruction is to arrive in good time and make sure bags are dropped before the 60-minute cut-off. It does not publish a single “arrive by” time, because queues vary by airport, day and season. A sensible way to plan:
- Work backwards from departure: bag drop closes at T-60.
- Add realistic time to queue at bag drop, especially on Friday evenings, Sunday afternoons and school-holiday weekends.
- Add time to get from the car park, train or drop-off zone to the terminal with kids, buggies and luggage.
- If your flight leaves the Schengen area (for example Portugal to the UK), remember there is passport control after security as well.
There is no universal number that suits every airport, so we won’t invent one. If you usually turned up with “just enough” time under the old 40-minute rule, move your plan at least 20 minutes earlier — that is exactly how much the cut-off moved — and give yourself more margin at busy airports such as Lisbon, Porto or Faro during peak periods.
Family tips for the new Ryanair bag drop rule
- Check in online for everyone as soon as it opens in the app, and save the boarding passes offline on more than one phone.
- Use the self-service kiosk where available: Ryanair says the kiosks work with the app for checking in bags and printing tags.
- Consider cabin bags only for short trips. Without a checked bag, the 60-minute cut-off does not apply to you.
- Pack the checked bag the night before and weigh it at home, so there is no repacking at the desk eating into your margin.
- Keep documents and liquids ready for security, and put snacks and entertainment for kids in the cabin bag, not the suitcase.
- Set an alarm for T-60 on your phone as a hard deadline, not a target.
Planning the flights themselves? Our guide on when to book holiday flights in 2026 covers Google Flights booking windows for Christmas and Europe trips.
Where this matters on our routes
We flew Ryanair into Milan Bergamo at the start of our Bergamo road trip. The new cut-off applies to every Ryanair airport, so it is worth keeping in mind for short-haul family trips such as northern Sardinia, Madeira with kids, Azores island hopping or where to stay in the Algarve — wherever your bag goes in the hold, build the 60 minutes into your day.
Flying into Lisbon this month? See Lisbon in November for weather and a beach lunch idea, and browse Lisbon tours and day trips on GetYourGuide if you have a spare morning.
Other travel disruption this week: Naples Airport closed in November
Naples Airport is closed to air traffic from 1 to 30 November 2026 for runway refurbishment, according to its operator GESAC. Some flights have moved to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi e del Cilento Airport, which serves 15 domestic and international destinations during the closure, including Bergamo with Ryanair. Special buses run between Naples Centrale (Piazza Garibaldi) and Salerno Airport. Check the Naples Airport notice and the Busitalia special bus timetable before you travel.
FAQ: Ryanair 60-minute bag drop
When does the Ryanair 60-minute bag drop rule start?
From Tuesday 10 November 2026, at all Ryanair airports.
What was the old Ryanair bag drop closing time?
Bag drop and airport check-in closed 40 minutes before scheduled departure.
Does the new rule affect me if I only have a cabin bag?
No, as long as you check in online before arriving. Ryanair says cabin-bag-only passengers who check in online go straight through security to the gate, as before.
Do I still need to check in online?
Yes. Ryanair passengers still check in online before travelling to the airport; the rule only changes when airport check-in and bag drop close.
How many Ryanair passengers check a bag?
Ryanair says about 20% of its passengers check in a bag.
Why did Ryanair change the bag drop time?
To give passengers with checked bags more time to clear security and passport control before boarding, and to reduce the small number who miss flights because of airport queues.
Keep reading
- When to book holiday flights in 2026
- Bergamo car rental and hotel: starting a Northern Italy road trip
- Northern Sardinia in a week: beaches and family guide
- Madeira with kids: itinerary and where to stay in Funchal
- Lisbon in November: weather and Fonte da Telha
Sources: Ryanair, 22 April 2026; Ryanair, 27 October 2026; Ryanair Help Centre; The Independent, 10 November 2026; Aeroporti di Napoli (GESAC), 29 October 2026.
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