DELAYS TO flights in and out of Dublin airport are set to continue into next week, as its radar system will be operating at reduced capacity.
However, the Irish Aviation Authority said yesterday that flight delays had eased after severe mid-week congestion. Delays of between 15 and 45 minutes were being experienced by passengers yesterday, and are set to continue at that level over the weekend and early next week.
The airport's radar system broke down on Wednesday, causing chaos for thousands of passengers at one of the busiest times of the year.
More than 200 flights were delayed, diverted or cancelled on Wednesday, but the system was operating at 80 per cent of capacity yesterday.
The aviation authority said this was sufficient to meet demand during most of the day. "We're expecting to stay at 80 per cent of capacity for the weekend, and we're hoping that there will be fewer delays because Friday is a busier day than Saturday - there are 40 fewer aircraft expected to use Dublin today," a spokeswoman said.
The cause of the problem that led air traffic controllers to shut down the radar on Wednesday has been identified as a piece of faulty hardware, which meant that controllers were unable to see some labels attached to "blips" that signify individual aircraft. The IAA has said the same problem arose four times since early June.
However, the airport will not resume full capacity until a report on the incident has been received from the supplier, Thales ATM. This is expected some time next week. All major airlines were advising those with confirmed reservations for travel this weekend to present themselves at the airport in time for their scheduled departure. However, passengers should expect some delays, they pointed out.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey has said he will be seeking a full report from the IAA on this week's incident, and criticised the lack of information available to passengers. On the prospect of introducing a back-up system for use in the event of future shutdowns, the Minister said: "The computer system is in place for five years and it cost €115 million.
"A back-up system would cost the same amount. It is one of the most sophisticated and state-of-the art systems."