daa updates Dublin Airport passenger advice

Dublin Airport Authority (daa) has published revised advice for passengers due to fly out of Dublin Airport over the coming period, with passengers now being advised to arrive at the airport up to 2.5 hours before the departure of short-haul flights to Europe and the UK.

The recommendation for long-haul passengers is up to 3.5 hours.

Passengers flying on short-haul flights taking off after 08.30 are advised not to arrive at the airport any earlier than 06.00.

daa said this will alleviate pressure on the passenger security screening area and enable an enhanced airside travel experience during the busy first wave of departing flights (those with flights before 08.30 am). daa said that there is no need for passengers to arrive earlier than 2.5 hours for a short-haul flight.

daa also recommends that passengers check with their airline in advance of travelling to the airport regarding when check-in and bag drop-off opens and to plan their arrival at the airport based on that information.

Passengers are also encouraged, where possible, to check in for their flight online.

daa said it was adjusting its passenger advice following the consistent delivery of improved queuing times at security screening at Dublin Airport since the end of March, including over the busy Easter weekend.

To help minimise queuing times, security screening in Terminal 1 will remain open 24/7, while security in Terminal 2 will open from 04.00.

daa said it continues to keep passenger advice under review and may adjust its recommended timings, either up or down, as necessary over the comings period as the peak of the summer season approaches.

daa thanked passengers for their co-operation and patience over recent weeks to ensure the stabilisation of security queue times in both terminals at Dublin Airport.

daa noted that over the recent busy Easter weekend, which saw around 200,000 passengers depart from Dublin Airport between Good Friday and Easter Monday – the highest number seen over a consecutive four-day period since Christmas 2019, no passenger had missed their flight as a result of security delays. The vast majority of passengers last weekend went through security in under 40 minutes in both terminals with a small number over this at certain peaks.

In a statement, daa said it has “been able to consistently keep queue levels at moderate levels over recent weeks due to several factors, including the successful deployment of a staff taskforce in the terminals (which will remain in place over the coming weeks); the continued refinement of security queuing systems and rostering at peak times to cope with growing demand for air travel; and adherence by passengers to daa’s arrival time advice.

“A consequence of the recent need to have passengers arrive earlier for flights is that they were spending longer in the terminal before flying, which in turn increased the pressure on services and facilities, including toilets, seating areas and food and beverage outlets.

“Dublin Airport is currently in the process of hiring almost 300 new security screening staff to help it meet the significant increase in demand for international travel. Good progress is being made in that recruitment process with more than 250 candidates successfully coming through interviews over the past two weeks.

“While successful candidates are trained, Garda vetted and put through compulsory security checks over the coming period – a process which takes around 5-6 weeks – daa is working to ensure that it has the maximum number of security lanes open at all times in both terminals.”