Those who like to arrive at the airport with little time to spare before their flight are in for a rude awakening with Ryanair’s newest rules. 

The budget airline has announced that it will be making a major switch-up in how it runs its check-in desks at airports across Europe. 

The new rules are set to come into effect on November 10. 

From this date, passengers are being warned that rather than closing 40 minutes before a flight, Ryanair’s check-in desks will end an hour before boarding. 

The airline has stressed that this change will allow passengers ‘more time to get through security’. 

However, it should be noted that these rules are most likely to only affect customers who are checking in a bag or a suitcase and need to use the check-in desk. 

Those travelling with just hand luggage are unlikely to be bothered by the change, given they can check in to their flights online.

The airline has claimed that as many as 80% of its passengers never check bags onto flights. However, those who do and fail to be prepared are in for a stressful trip to the airport. 

Ryanair CMO, Dara Brady, said: ‘This will allow these 20% 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.’ 

It is understood that more self-check-in machines have been rolled out at check-in desks across Europe in the hopes of speeding up the process and allowing passengers more time to make their flight. 

This comes after the airline made the bombshell decision last year to scrap printed boarding passes. All passengers are now required to use their mobile phones instead. 

Also affecting the likelihood of missing your flight is an ongoing row around EES checks at airports. 

9 European countries are protesting rules around EES checks that would stop them from halting the process when they become overwhelmed with long queues. 

With many airlines blaming the system for massive backlogs at airports during the summer, some nations are now delaying implementing the system at all. 

These nations include: France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Italy, and Switzerland

Meanwhile, Ryanair has described the EU’s rollout of the changes to EES checks as a ‘shambles’. It claimed that at 16 airports that are ‘recurring EES hotspots’, excessive delays are consistently present.