Ryanair has confirmed that airport bag drop services at all its airports will close 60 minutes before scheduled departure from Tuesday, November 10, instead of the current 40 minutes. The change is designed to reduce the number of passengers who miss flights due to delays in airport security and passport control queues.
Extra time for passengers with checked bags
The budget airline said the move will give Ryanair passengers who check in a bag an extra 20 minutes to clear airport security and passport control ahead of their flight. The change aims to help people reach their departure gate before boarding begins, particularly during busy travel periods when queues can be longer.
Ryanair said most passengers will be unaffected by the change, which was first announced in April, as around 80% of its customers check in online before arriving at the airport and go straight to their departure gate. Only around 20% of Ryanair customers check in bags at the airport, with the majority opting to pay for a cabin bag or travel without luggage.
Airline and expert comments
Ryanair CMO Dara Brady said: "From Tues, 10 November, bag drop services at all Ryanair airports will close 60 minutes before scheduled departure, instead of the current 40 minutes."
"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," he added.
Brady reminded passengers using airport bag drop services to arrive at the airport in good time and ensure they have checked in and dropped their bags before check-in and bag drop closes 60 minutes before departure. The remaining 80% of passengers who check in online and do not check in a bag are unaffected by this change.
Tom Vaughan, travel insurance expert at Confused.com, said: "From next week, Ryanair bag drop will close 60 minutes before departure, instead of 40. Passengers with a checked bag will need to drop it 20 minutes earlier. This change should take some of the stress out of flying, giving passengers more time to clear security and reach the gate without a frantic dash through the airport."
Vaughan noted that missed departure cover tends to apply only when the delay was outside the passenger's control, such as a breakdown or public transport failure, and that giving yourself plenty of time is the safest way to protect your trip.
Context and further improvements
The change follows the introduction of Europe's Entry Exit System (EES) on April 10, which requires non-EU citizens to register biometric data at the external borders of 29 European countries in the Schengen area. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said British travellers do not need to take any action before arriving at the border, but passengers are warned to prepare to wait "longer than usual" and allow more time for immigration controls.
Ryanair also announced plans earlier this year to install more self-service bag-drop kiosks, with more than 95% of airports due to have these in place from October. The airline said the kiosks are fully integrated with the Ryanair app to enable passengers to check in bags and print luggage tags, helping to speed up bag drop and reduce waiting times.
