Ryanair anticipates the closure of the bag drop

Ryanair will introduce a new operating rule for passengers checking in at the airport or dropping off their checked baggage. As of Tuesday 10 November, check-in and bag drop services will close 60 minutes before the scheduled departure time at all airports served by the airline, up from 40 minutes currently.

For passengers, the change mainly affects those traveling with checked baggage. According to Ryanair, the goal is to offer more time to complete security checks and passport controls, reducing the already limited number of Travellers who miss their flight because they are stuck in queues at the airport.

The change particularly affects 20% of Ryanair passengers who use the baggage check-in service. For this customer group, the new early closure should allow them to reach the gate with more margin, especially at times of greater turnout. On the other hand, 80% of passengers who do not drop off checked baggage will continue to check in online before arriving at the airport and will be able to head directly to the controls and then to the gate, without changes to the usual procedure.

At the same time, the carrier is expanding the presence of self-service baggage drop-off kiosks in its network. The airline expects to cover more than 95% of the airports where it operates by October. These kiosks, integrated with the Ryanair app, will allow passengers to check in their baggage and print their own tag, with the aim of speeding up operations and reducing waiting times at counters.

For those who fly with Ryanair and have checked luggage, it will therefore be important to take into account the new limit of 60 minutes before departure and arrive at the airport earlier. For those who travel only with hand luggage and complete online check-in, the process will remain unchanged.