Dublin and Shannon airports to handle almost 560,000 passengers over Easter

Almost 560,000 people will travel through two State airports over the Easter weekend as the holiday season builds towards its summer peak.

Dublin Airport – Ireland’s biggest – expects 485,000 passengers over the five days from Thursday, with Good Friday the busiest for departures and most arrivals showing up on Bank Holiday Monday.

Shannon Airport calculates that 73,000 people will travel through it over Easter, beating 2019 numbers over the same period by 20 per cent.

Easter marks the point at which air travel begins building towards the peak holiday months as airlines tend to begin their summer schedules in April.

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News that Irish airports face a busy Easter comes as figures show the industry continues to recover from almost two years of Covid-19-related restrictions and disruption.

Airports Council International Europe said on Tuesday that February traffic grew 48 per cent on the same month in 2022, when curbs meant to contain the virus’s Omicron strain hit travel.

[ DAA set to seek increase in capacity of Dublin Airport to 40m passengers per year ]

The council’s figures say that Dublin overtook its February 2022 total by 2.4 per cent. The airport expects numbers this year to approach the record 32 million hit in 2019, the year before the pandemic struck.

Irish airlines and airports fear that air traffic control strikes and bottlenecks could be a key cause of disruption this year. Ryanair has already highlighted that French industrial action hit its services last week and called on the EU Commission to act to protect the free market in air travel.

Dublin Airport recommended on Tuesday that passengers arrive two hours before short-haul flights and three hours before longer journeys.

Operator DAA said that 92 per cent of passengers were now getting through security in less than 20 minutes.

[ Lufthansa subsidiary opens Shannon engine repair facility ]

However, the company cautioned that passengers should book car parking in advance as demand is high.

Kevin Cullinane, DAA’s group head of communications, noted that the airport had reverted to normal travel advice after spending a period last year urging travellers to arrive far earlier for flights. “Passengers travelling from Dublin Airport this busy Easter holiday period can expect to experience improved service standards across both terminals,” he said.

The airport is introducing quicker wifi and extra seating including spaces designated for families, removing clutter and recruiting new cafe and restaurant staff.