Passengers flying Ryanair with a checked bag will have to drop it off 20 minutes earlier. From Tuesday 10 November 2026, the airline closes airport check-in and bag drop at all its airports 60 minutes before scheduled departure, instead of today's 40 minutes. Ryanair announced the change in April; the Hungarian news site Telex recalled it on 10 October.
Who is affected?
- Passengers who check in a bag (about 20 per cent of Ryanair's passengers, according to the airline), and those who check in at the airport.
- Nothing changes for those who check in online and have no checked bag: according to the airline, these passengers, about 80 per cent, can go straight to their departure gate at the airport.
- The rule applies at every Ryanair airport, Budapest included.
Why is Ryanair changing it?
The airline says the extra time gives passengers enough room to clear the queues at security and passport control. These queues already cause missed flights, though according to Ryanair only for a very small number of passengers. Dara Brady, Ryanair's chief marketing officer, said that with the change "airport check-in and bag drops close 60 minutes before scheduled departure, instead of today's 40 minutes".
Meanwhile the airline is installing self-service bag drop kiosks: by October more than 95 per cent of its airports will have them. The kiosks work with the Ryanair app, where passengers can check in a bag and print its bag tag. The announcement does not list which airports already have the kiosks.
What is not known?
The announcement does not say what happens to a passenger who reaches bag drop after the 60-minute deadline, and it mentions no fee. It does not give a gate closing time either, only that passengers should reach the gate before boarding starts.
What it means for passengers at Budapest
From 10 November, anyone flying Ryanair with a checked bag should reach the terminal at least 20 minutes earlier than before. Our journey planner works out from the flight number when to leave home; its airport margin can be 90, 120 or 180 minutes. Bag sizes and weights are on our baggage allowance page, and today's flights on the departures page.
Source: Ryanair