# Ryanair's new 60-minute bag drop deadline: who gets caught out on 10 November > From 10 November, Ryanair's bag drop closes 60 minutes before departure instead of 40, a change that only affects passengers checking luggage. Culture & Lifestyle · Binatec Pulse · David Banjo · Published 2026-11-09T11:06:24.000Z · Updated 2026-11-09T10:45:08Z Canonical: https://pulse.binatecagency.com/culture/ryanair-60-minute-bag-drop-deadline-what-changes ## Key points - From 10 November 2026 Ryanair bag drop closes 60 minutes before departure, up from 40. - Only passengers checking a bag are affected; about 80% of passengers check in online. - Ryanair says the change gives more time for security and passport control and denies the EES border system prompted it. - A 12:00 flight now has its bag drop close at 11:00. Ryanair is changing when you must hand over your luggage. From 10 November, passengers using the airline's bag drop must arrive at least 60 minutes before departure, up from 40 minutes, [according to LBC](https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/ryanair-change-airport-check-in-desks-close-60-minutes-flights-5HjdYBf_2/). The new rule applies at Ryanair desks across European airports. ## What is the new Ryanair bag drop deadline? The Ryanair bag drop will close 60 minutes before scheduled departure. For a flight leaving at 12:00, that means the desk closes at 11:00 rather than 11:20. The change was [announced in April](https://centreforaviation.com/news/ryanair-to-increase-minimum-check-in-and-bag-drop-times-in-nov-2026-1356333) and takes effect this week. The rule covers bag drop, not every form of check-in. Passengers who check in online and travel without a hold bag are not affected. ## Who is affected by the Ryanair 60-minute rule? Only people who check luggage. LBC reports that around 80% of Ryanair passengers check in online and only about 20% check in a bag at UK airports, which the airline says means the change touches a minority of travellers. Ryanair carries roughly 200 million passengers a year, so even a minority is a large number of people. If you are in that group, the practical effect is simple. The same journey to the airport now needs an extra 20 minutes of margin. A late arrival that would have worked on 9 November can mean a refused bag, and possibly a missed flight, on 10 November. ## Why is Ryanair changing the bag drop time? Ryanair says the longer window gives passengers more time to get through security and passport control, and should reduce missed flights. It has also pointed to a rollout of self-service kiosks, with 95% of its desks due to have self-service check-in by this autumn, and its chief marketing officer Dara Brady cited a quicker bag-drop service and less queueing at desks. The timing has fuelled speculation about the EU's Entry-Exit System, the biometric border check that has been blamed for longer passport queues at some European destinations. Ryanair says EES did not prompt the move, so we can only report the stated reason, not a hidden one. ## What should passengers with checked bags do? - Work back from departure: bag drop closes 60 minutes before, not 40. - Check your booking and the airline's app for the time shown for your airport. - Allow extra time if your trip involves passport control, since that is the stated reason for the change. - If you travel with hand luggage only and check in online, nothing changes. It helps to remember what has not changed. The airline describes the rule as a longer window for a minority of passengers, and online check-in without a hold bag works as before. If you are unsure about your own flight, the booking details and the airline's app are the place to confirm the time that applies to your airport. Our view: the change is small on paper and large for the last-minute traveller. A 20-minute shift sounds trivial until you are the person at the back of a desk queue at 11:05 for a midday flight. ## Questions people are asking ### When does the Ryanair 60-minute bag drop rule start? It takes effect on 10 November 2026. ### What was the old Ryanair bag drop deadline? 40 minutes before departure. ### Does the rule apply if I only have hand luggage? No. It applies to bag drop, so passengers who check in online and carry no hold bag are not affected. ### Is the change because of the EES border system? Ryanair says no. It says the aim is more time for security and passport control and fewer missed flights. ## Sources 1. [Ryanair change: airport check-in desks to close 60 minutes before flights](https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/ryanair-change-airport-check-in-desks-close-60-minutes-flights-5HjdYBf_2/), LBC 2. [Ryanair to increase minimum check-in and bag drop times in Nov-2026](https://centreforaviation.com/news/ryanair-to-increase-minimum-check-in-and-bag-drop-times-in-nov-2026-1356333), CAPA 3. [Ryanair is changing its bag drop deadline](https://ulysse.com/en/news/ryanair-is-changing-its-bag-drop-deadline-and-travelers-who-cut-it-close-could-miss-their-flight), Ulysse