Passengers had to queue outside Terminal One at Dublin Airport this morning.
Images on social media showed long queues forming outside the terminal building, as people arrived early for flights.
Busy Weekend
Dublin Airport. The last time I mixed with a crowd this big at 4am (some time ago) there was music, and I recall the lights were dimmer. Just like then, where did it all go wrong !! pic.twitter.com/HLKmWKM8iv
— John Ryan (@ryanjtw) April 9, 2022
Dublin Airport Authority says it expects up to 80,000 to travel through the airport this weekend, making it one of the busiest in two years.
Passengers are being asked to turn up three and a half hours before their flights, due to a shortage of security staff.
DAA spokesman, Graeme McQueen is advising passengers to arrive extra early:
"We're expecting this weekend to be one of the busiest we've had in a couple of years."
"Anywhere between 60,000 and 80,000 people will travel through Dublin Airport on Saturday and Sunday."
"That means for anyone travelling it's going to be busier so we're urging people to be nice and early - around 3.5hrs before your flight."
"So that will give you plenty of time to get through security, plenty of time to get to your gate, onto the flight and off to where you want to be."
Delays To Continue
Graeme McQueen, says they're recruiting about 300 new employees - but the delays will continue for several months.
"Dublin Airport's going through a process now where we're trying to ramp up our operations again after Covid."
"We have a mass recruitment drive on to get more security screeners in for example."
"Once they come on board that will make a huge difference, but for the moment people are going to have to expect long queues."
"The airport is going to take longer to get through."
"That's going to remain the case through Easter, probably through May as well and into June."
