Ryanair passengers travelling with checked luggage will soon notice a major change to the airline’s airport procedures. From Tuesday, November 10, the budget carrier will shut its check-in desks and bag drop counters a full 60 minutes before scheduled departure, replacing the current 40-minute cut-off. The policy shift, revealed earlier this year, means travellers need to arrive at the airport considerably earlier than many may be used to. The new deadline applies across every airport in Ryanair’s network without exception, and it is designed to tackle the problem of passengers getting stranded in lengthy security and passport queues, ultimately missing their flights. Ryanair customers will need to be prompt when arriving at the airport | GETTYRyanair described this as affecting a “very small number” of travellers, and the earlier cut-off should give them more breathing room to reach their gate before boarding begins.Around 80 per cent of Ryanair passengers fly without checked baggage, checking in online before reaching the airport and heading directly to their departure gate, so they are unlikely to notice the change. Alongside the policy change, Ryanair has been rolling out self-service bag-drop kiosks across its network, with a target for more than 95 per cent of airports to have the technology in place by this month. The kiosks work in tandem with the Ryanair app, allowing passengers to check in their luggage and print bag tags themselves, cutting down on queuing time.Speaking about the change earlier this year, Ryanair’s chief marketing officer, Dara Brady, said: “From Tuesday, November 10, Ryanair customers will see airport check-in and bag drops close 60 minutes before scheduled departure, instead of today’s 40 minutes. “This will allow these 20 per cent of our customers (who check in a bag) more time to clear through airport security and passport queues, and get to their departure gate on time, especially during busy travel periods when some of these airport queues can be longer.”The new rules roll out within weeks, on November 10 | GETTYPassengers should also take careful note of Ryanair’s revised terms and conditions, which carry a stark warning. They state: “The check-in desks close strictly 40 minutes before the scheduled departure time unless you are notified otherwise before flight departure or flying from November 10, 2026 onwards. “For all passengers flying from November 10, 2026 onwards, the check-in desks close strictly 60 minutes before the scheduled departure time unless you are notified otherwise before flight departure. If you do not complete check-in by then, you may be denied boarding without refund.”