Airline travel requires more and more attention to deadlines at the airport, especially for those who don’t go straight to the boarding gate and need to hand over checked luggage. In the case of Ryanair, this stage will gain a new safety margin from November 10th this year, in a new rule that is mainly of interest to passengers who still depend on counters or bag drop points before going through security.
The Irish airline announced on April 22 that airport check-in and bag drop will close 60 minutes before the flight’s scheduled departure time. This new rule comes into effect on November 10, 2026, replacing the current 40-minute limit.
Change applies to all airports
According to the Irish airline, this change will apply to airport check-in and bag drop services at all airports where Ryanair operates. In practice, anyone who has bags to check in will have to complete this process at least one hour before the scheduled departure.
The carrier justifies the decision with the need to give passengers more time to go through security controls and, when necessary, passport controls. Ryanair also says the measure aims to reduce the small number of passengers who miss their flight because they are stuck in airport queues.
Ryanair itself estimates that the change mainly affects around 20% of its customers, that is, passengers who check in a bag and need to use the bag drop service before proceeding to the boarding area.
The remaining 80% of passengers, who do not check baggage, should not feel a direct impact from this change. These customers will continue to check in online before arriving at the airport and proceed directly to their departure gate.
Automatic kiosks also enter the equation
In the same statement, Ryanair says it is installing more automatic bag drop kiosks across its network. The company predicts that more than 95% of its airports will have this equipment by October this year.
These kiosks should be integrated with the Ryanair application and allow passengers to manage baggage delivery and print bag tags. The objective indicated by the company is to make the process faster and reduce dependence on traditional counters.
What to remember before traveling
For those traveling with checked luggage, the main change is simple: from November 10, 2026, it will no longer be enough to arrive at the counter up to 40 minutes before the flight. Bag drop and airport check-in will need to be completed up to 60 minutes before scheduled departure.
Those traveling with only cabin baggage and checking in online will continue with the usual procedure, although you will still need to arrive at the airport with enough time to get through security and get to the gate on time.
Consequences for Portugal
In Portugal, this new rule should take effect at airports where Ryanair operates flights, namely Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Madeira, destinations that appear on the company’s official page for Portugal.
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