An automotive airbag apparatus is able to reduce the shock caused by early deployment of airbag against a passenger not in a position for safe airbag restraint, and further able to deploy quickly and effectively when a passenger is in a position for safe restraint. The airbag apparatus includes an airbag housing in which a folded airbag resides until deployed by the gas from an inflator, an airbag door that opens on a hinge from the pressure applied by the deploying airbag, and a restrictor member extending over the folded airbag beneath the airbag door with a direction from front to rear of the vehicle. The restrictor member has a fixed end at forward part thereof attached to the airbag housing, and a releasable fixed or free end at rearward part thereof, the free end coming into frictional contact with the airbag door in the vicinity of the hinge as the airbag door is pushed out by the early phase of the airbag deployment.