'A terrible failing': Daa ordered to come up with solutions to travel 'fiasco'
Eamon Ryan said any compensation for those who missed flights over the weekend is a matter for the airport, but he added that the "reputational damage" to both the airport and the country is "very real". Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin
Dublin Airport officials have been ordered to come up with solutions within the next 24 hours to avoid disruption and long delays ahead of the bank holiday weekend.
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan and Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton met with Dublin Airport management body Daa chief executive Dalton Philips and his management team this morning, where they expressed their "immense disappointment" and frustration at the unacceptable scenes at Dublin airport over the weekend.
The ministers have instructed the Daa to report back by tomorrow morning on solutions that can be put in place in advance of this bank holiday weekend to deliver an acceptable passenger experience for citizens and visitors departing from the airport. They have asked Daa to consider all options that can be taken in the immediate and medium-term to resolve this matter.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Ryan said: "You can't have 1,000 people missing flights, you can't have thousands of people queuing outside the terminal building.
"They accepted it was a terrible failing and we have to address it, they have to address it, it's an operational issue for the airport."
However, he added it is a "complex issue" and hiring and training staff is not easy.
"We said they have to deliver those solutions, they have to come back with a range of options, so that what happened in Dublin Airport yesterday doesn't happen again."
Mr Ryan said any compensation for those who missed flights over the weekend is a matter for the airport, but he added that the "reputational damage" to both the airport and the country is "very real".
Mr Ryan and Ms Naughton said that the excessively long queues and wait times were causing significant distress to passengers as well as reputational damage to the country from a business, travel, connectivity, and tourism point of view.
Daily meetings will be held at the ministerial level with the Daa until the difficulties persisting at the airport are satisfactorily resolved. Ms Naughton emphasised that it is the responsibility of the Daa to resolve these matters to the satisfaction of passengers travelling in the days and weeks ahead.
Ms Naughton, who has special responsibility for international travel, will also meet with airlines this afternoon.
The Taoiseach said he spoke with Mr Ryan about the situation in Dublin airport this morning.
“I know that Ministers Ryan and Hildegarde Naughton met with the management today and it is unacceptable what has happened. It's not good enough. People should not be treated in that way.”
Micheál Martin said there will be daily meetings between the Department of Transport and the Daa until the issue is rectified.
"The Government is looking for a pretty clear plan to ensure that this type of thing doesn't happen again, or whatever has to be done, it's done to improve the operational efficiency of the airport.
When asked if the army should be deployed, Mr Martin replied: “The answer lies within human resource management within Daa and planning and within the organisation.”
Ms Naughton told RTÉ radio that the issue is "around staffing" and said the authority had been able to get ahead of the issues around queues which arose in March. However, she said that when she met with the Daa on Thursday, there was "no indication that there would be the fiasco that we saw at the weekend".
She described the meeting with Mr Philips as "frank and robust" and both she and the Transport Minister were "angry and frustrated".
Ms Naugton said she has asked for plans for how to address ongoing staffing difficulties at the airport.
"At Thursday's meeting we would go through the numbers that were coming through the airports and there was no indication at that point that there was going to be the fiasco that we saw on the weekend, which is why we are hugely disappointed and why tomorrow we need to see what actions they're putting in place so that this does not happen again and particularly coming into this upcoming weekend."
Ms Naughton said that she and Mr Ryan had "made it clear to Daa" that any repeat of the scenes would be "unacceptable" and said that the issue "comes back to Daa's management".
"If there is an issue with the pay and conditions, that is something Daa needs to examine."
The chaos at Dublin Airport that was seen on Sunday was not repeated on Monday, however, there have still been some delays.
Approximately 45,000 passengers are expected to depart from the airport today with current estimated wait times of 45 minutes in Terminal One and 25 minutes in Terminal Two.
Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport two-and-a-half hours before short-haul flights and three-and-a-half hours before long-haul ones.
People arriving too early for flights is thought to exacerbate the problem. Many people who are checking bags in have found that bag check does not open any earlier than between two and two-and-a-half hours before the flight which means arriving much earlier is of little benefit.
This morning, Maryrose Lyons arrived at the airport four and a half hours before her flight to the US.
While the process of getting a Covid-19 antigen test at the Randox Health Travel Centre was seamless, Ms Lyons faced the first obstacle when trying to get her Aer Lingus boarding card.
Using the Verifly app, all her travel documents and details had been uploaded to it and then the negative test result was added.
"You're supposed to be able to just tap in your number and walk through but the machines don't take Verifly that is done three or four hours beforehand. I think they want you to do it the day before but that doesn't make sense with the Covid test," said Ms Lyons.
Having joined the queue to check-in at around 7.30am, Ms Lyons found herself lucky to have gotten in before a sudden surge which saw the line was now much longer and had now extended out the door of the terminal.
The queue for security was estimated to take 38 minutes and it proved to be accurate as she was through in 35 minutes.
So all up, our experience at #DublinAirport today wasn't all bad. Took 3 hours all up including covidtest through to 🇺🇲 preclearance. 👍 I can't say the same for anyone arriving 1 hour later. The only problem people are experiencing today is airlines check-in @AerLingus 💩💩
— Maryrose - find me at maryroselyons.bsky.social (@maryrose) May 30, 2022
All in all, it took Ms Lyons three hours to make her way through the airport including getting a Covid test, checking in, security and US preclearance.
With an hour and a half ahead of her flight time, she is counting herself lucky compared to those who faced chaos on Sunday and she's not the only one.
"Everyone's just really calm and quiet and very resigned. I think everyone, and me personally, are looking at security and because it isn't the carnage scenes from yesterday, I'm actually really grateful."
Those flying out from Terminal 1 may not be faring as well as Ms Lyons' taxi driver said that Gardaí were on the scene before 6.30am to assist with queue management.
One passenger travelling through the airport on Sunday described it as being in squalor.
John Duddy, a neuro-surgeon who works in Liverpool and travelled through the airport, said conditions were unsafe and unhygienic.
"The experience once you get into the departures area is absolutely awful," said Dr Duddy.
"Squalor is the word I would use to describe the terminal building yesterday. The toilets clearly had not been cleaned for a number of hours, possibly all day.
"The sinks were covered in dirt. There was litter everywhere, overflowing bins, and spillages that had not been cleaned up.
"I have never seen anything like it travelling through any airport - never mind Dublin Airport."
Ryanair is again calling for the army to be brought in to address the issue.
The airline said the daa has not adequately prepared for the return to international travel following the lifting of restrictions.
Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson has said that calling in the army will resolve the problems - a suggestion previously raised by Michael O'Leary.
"We need the army there. They have already got security clearance and they would offer additional bodies on the ground either for queuing or for pat-down at security points," said Mr Wilson.
"And they can get through it much, much quicker and it's more visible as well."
There were plenty of unhappy endings in Dublin Airport on Sunday but one passenger was reminded that you can't always depend on an airport, you can depend on the kindness of strangers.
As stressed-out staff and passengers made their way through the chaos, a few took time out from their hectic day to help Lorcán Ó Maoileannaigh.
The junior doctor removed an extremely sentimental Claddagh ring when going through security and forgot to take it with him once it had gone through the scanner.
It was half an hour later and just before his flight was to board when he realised what had happened.
Three members of staff and some other passengers spent 10 minutes helping him to search through the trays.
Happily, the ring was located and Dr Ó Maoileannaigh took to social media to share the story and to thank those who had helped him.
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