Ryanair passengers are being alerted to a significant change in the airline’s check-in procedure from next week. Check-in and bag drop facilities currently close 40 minutes before a flight’s scheduled departure. However, from November 10, Ryanair will close check-in and bag drop services 60 minutes before the scheduled departure time. The adjustment is to provide additional time for passengers to pass through security before their flight.
The carrier noted the modification will minimise the “very small number of passengers” who fail to board their flights owing to airport queues.
Travellers on short-haul services are typically advised to arrive at the airport two hours before departure, so the adjustment shouldn’t affect most passengers.
In an update published on its website, Ryanair said: “From Tuesday, November 10, 2026, airport check-in and bag drop will close 60 mins prior to scheduled departure (from 40 mins currently) to allow more time for passengers to get through airport security and passport queues and reach their departure gate on-time, thereby reducing the very small number of passengers who miss their flights because they get stuck in airport queues.”
The airline revealed that more than 99.99% of its travellers check in online before reaching the airport, meaning the adjustment is expected to affect only a small proportion of passengers.
The carrier also noted that only 20% of passengers check a bag with the airline, with the remaining 80% unaffected by the 20-minute change.
Travellers with a pre-booked seat may check in online up to 60 days before their scheduled departure, provided both outbound and return flights fall within that 60-day window.
Those without a reserved seat who are being allocated one at random can check in online 24 hours before their flight, with this check-in closing two hours before departure.
Ryanair passengers checking in at the airport face a fee of £55 from most locations, £30 from Spain and £40 from Austria.
Those who have already checked in online but are unable to display their boarding pass in the app upon arrival will receive a boarding pass free of charge.
Passengers departing from a Moroccan airport must check in online as usual before collecting a complimentary boarding pass at the airport check-in desk.
While the airline hasn’t specified what’s causing the security queues, numerous British travellers departing from European airports have encountered extended waiting times at border control due to the Entry-Exit System (EES) since its introduction in April this year.
The system mandates that third-country nationals, including Britons, entering or leaving the Schengen Area must submit their fingerprints and photograph at the border for the first time following the scheme’s implementation.
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This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
