Dublin Airport’s ‘extremely busy’ Easter warning as ‘extra’ security lanes open to tackle huge queues
DUBLIN Airport has said they are "prepared for an extremely busy Easter" - with extra security lanes opening and queues moving steadily early this morning.
The airport had warned that people may need three and a half hours to make it through baggage and security, plus an additional 30 minutes if parking a car.
A spokesperson said this morning: "With extra security lanes open earlier today & our TaskForce assisting operations, Dublin Airport is prepared for an extremely busy Easter holiday time.
"We sincerely thank passengers for heeding our advice to only arrive up to three & half hours ahead of their departure time.
"We are currently managing the flow of passengers into the terminal as part of a carefully planned process with the aim of keeping passengers safe and ultimately making sure passengers make their flights on time.
"We have 10 security lanes open in T1 and queues are moving steadily."
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Yesterday, passengers at the airport were asked to queue outside the terminal buildings as a huge number of people arrived early to catch their flights.
Hundreds of people were filtered into Terminal 1 and 2 in "an orderly manner".
The average queue time before 6am was an hour, they said.
RTE's Football Correspondent Tony O'Donoghue was among those queuing on Saturday morning.
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After arriving, he tweeted: "Sweet Jesus it’s four o' clock in the morning."
But later added: "Through in just over an hour. Thanks to the staff who were very patient. Now a queue for brekkie."
Dublin Airport have also told how they are expecting a "very busy summer" as many people head on holiday for the first time in two years.
A spokesperson told the Irish Sun: "Over the coming weeks, daa is committed to having the optimum number of security lanes open in both Terminals 1 and 2 commensurate with expected passenger forecasts for a very busy summer season ahead.
"At holiday times such as Easter and throughout the summer months, the Airport is generally busy on all days and at all times.
"With strong consumer appetite for foreign travel, we estimate that passenger numbers in the summer are likely to reach around 90% of 2019 levels – a year in which we welcomed a record 33 million passengers.
"Therefore, it is really important that passengers using Dublin Airport continue to heed our advice to arrive at the airport a minimum of 3.5 hours prior to their flight."
ERA NOT OVER
Meanwhile, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has said "the era of cheap flights is not coming to an end" amid climate change concerns.
The airline's group CEO said Ireland needs cheap seats for a number of reasons - and told how the airline is buying new planes that burn 16 per cent less fuel.
He told RTE Business: "For all the talk about taxing air travel and the end of air travel, Irish tourism, industry, and agriculture needs low cost air travel to and from the European Union.
"The era of the cheap flight is not coming to an end.
"All of the indications we have is that people are going to continue to travel - particularly on Ryanair as it is low fare and affordable."
But he said the airline industry needs to become "more sustainable".
O'Leary added: "I don't think if you’re living on an island like Ireland you can change your attitude to aviation, it’s not like we are living in Holland or Belgium - we have no alternatives and we have to fly.
"We live on an island and have a right to travel.
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"The whole purpose of the European Union is to enable the free movement of travel, but we need to move to make it more sustainable and less environmentally damaging.
"Our tourism depends on people flying in here but as an industry we have to be more sustainable."