Dublin Airport vows to get 90% of security wait times to under 20 minutes

More than one million passengers will pass through Dublin Airport over the next 10 days as the summer holiday season gets under way in earnest.

DAA, which operates the airport, said 120,000 passengers would pass through on Sunday and between 110,000 to 120,000 will arrive or depart every day between now and early July.

In a bid to avoid chaotic scenes of last summer when thousands of passengers missed their flights, the airport authority has published a 15-point plan which includes raising security staff numbers to 811, from 700 in March, as well as adding 400 extra seats, speeding up wifi and opening more restaurants.

Graeme McQueen, the airport authority’s media relations manager, said: “One of the core aims is to get, at least, 90 per cent of passengers through security screening in under 20 minutes this summer and we’ve exceeded this target over the past seven weeks, with 97 per cent through in 20 minutes or less.”

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He also said a number of improvements had been made in and around the terminals “to ensure high standards for passengers”.

Other improvements include a 20 per cent increase in the number of taxis available and 15 per cent more active bus routes serving the airport.

Mr McQueen said six of the new C3 scanners, which allow passengers to go through security without removing liquids and lap tops from their bags, have been installed across the two terminals. The installation of the full programme of 24 of these scanners will be paused to avoid disruption across the three month summer peak, however.

He also said the issue of purchasing a nearby, privately owned, car park, which has closed in recent years, was still being considered by the Competition Authority.

Due to high demand, passengers have, again, been urged to book their parking in advance. The DAA said travellers should also consider taking a bus or a taxi, or getting a friend or relative to drop them off at the airport.

[ As Dublin Airport approaches capacity, there is more than one way to expand ]

According to the airport website, a two-week car park booking from next Friday is available only at the Express Green park for €224.50 and at the Terminal 2 short term car park for €319. Dublin Airport has 18,600 spaces in its car parks and is in the process of buying an additional, former private car park nearby.

DAA chief executive, Kenny Jacobs, has predicted that Ireland’s biggest airport would handle “in and around or just below” the record 32 million passengers that passed through there in 2019, the year before Covid-19 disrupted travel.

The airport has asked travellers to turn up two hours before a short-haul flight and more if they intend to check in bags. Those travelling on long-haul flights should arrive at the airport at least three hours in advance of departure time, the authority said.

The busiest destinations for holidaymakers from Dublin Airport this summer will be Spain, North America and Portugal.