Ryanair delays hand baggage restrictions until after Christmas

Ryanair - which flies from Charleroi and Zaventem airports - has announced it will delay the introduction of strict new hand baggage rules until after the Christmas holidays.

The Irish budget airline said the proposed changes, which were due to come into force on 1 November, would now be pushed back to 15 January.

In September, the airline said it would stop allowing passengers to bring a wheelie suitcase and a small second bag on board, and would cut fees for hold luggage to encourage more travellers to check in their bags.

Ryanair said the delay would "allow customers more time to adjust to the changes, particularly during the busy Christmas period".

The airline added: "From January, we will be restricting non-priority customers to one small carry-on bag (their wheelie bag will be placed in the hold, free of charge at the boarding gate) which will speed up the boarding of flights and eliminate flight delays."

Passengers who do not want to wait at their arrival airport for their cabin-sized wheelie suitcase to arrive on the conveyer belt will be required to pay for priority boarding.

Thousands of Ryanair passengers this winter have been affected by a widespread programme of flight cancellations because of a pilot shortage and a backlog of crew holidays.