Holidaymakers warned Dublin Airport delays 'going to get worse'

Passengers at Dublin Airport have faced long queues due to staff shortages. Picture: Robert Mannion\Twitter

Holidaymakers have been warned of severe delays at Dublin Airport over the Easter period after passengers missed flights and thousands faced long queues due to staff shortages.

The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) chief executive Pat Dawson said the bottlenecks in security at Dublin Airport in recent days are "going to get worse".

Airlines such as Ryanair have now advised passengers to arrive at Dublin Airport at least 3.5 hours before flights.

Mr Dawson said he recommended a minimum of three hours for short-haul flights and four hours for long-haul, or that passengers look to the likes of Cork and Shannon airports for alternative routes.

Figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that departures from Ireland went up 40% from January to February, with more than 785,000 leaving the country last month.

'More worry for travellers'

Mr Dawson said: "I really fear that the Easter period, traditionally a busy one as the holiday season begins, will bring more worry for travellers. The red flag has gone up and it's only March, the next big hump will be mid-April. People will really need to be cognisant of the fact that this wasn't a one-off, it's going to get more difficult until the issues causing the delays are solved.

"Cork and Shannon are really worth examining if you plan to travel, because not only do they offer a very good experience for travellers, it would also ease the burden on Dublin from a sheer numbers point of view."

Chair of the Oireachtas transport committee, Limerick TD Kieran O'Donnell, said it will meet with the operators of Dublin Airport, the daa, in the coming days.

"The committee members are very conscious of what is happening, we are very concerned about what we saw. We have sought a formal update from the daa and we are due to physically see for ourselves at Dublin Airport next Monday," he said.

Apology for 'lengthy delays'

The daa said it apologised for "lengthy delays" and to passengers who missed flights as a result, adding it was "taking immediate action to address this issue". 

A spokesman said: "Like other airports all over Europe, we are currently working extremely hard to ramp up our operation at Dublin Airport after the collapse of international travel over the past two years, including the recruitment, training, and necessary background checks required for all staff working at an international airport."

These processes take several weeks and this is happening against a backdrop of growing passenger numbers at Dublin Airport at the start of the busy summer schedule, the spokesman added.

"We apologise in advance but queues for security may be experienced at peak hours over the weeks ahead as we continue to bring additional trained security staff on board," he said.

More than 100 new security staff have been recruited since the start of the year but enhanced background checks are now needed since January 1, leaving a gap before they can begin work.