Dublin Airport chiefs are confident travellers will have a hassle-free experience through the airport this summer.
And a promise has been made that there will be no passenger pick-up or drop-off charges introduced, despite planning permission for this being sought.
Hundreds of extra staff are being hired, at €22 an hour, which it is hoped will prevent the chaos witnessed last summer during peak times.
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There have been 500 new hires this year and there are now over 850 security staff working at the airport.
Air travellers had to wait for hours to get through security last year with queues snaking out of the main terminals as the airport struggled to meet demand at peak times.
The daa (Dublin airport authority) chief executive, Kenny Jacobs, was before the Oireachtas transport committee to discuss the capacity issues facing the airport and he promised the authority is better prepared going into the peak holiday months of the summer.
Mr Jacobs told the TDs and Senators about the huge economic impact of the daa.
He said: “Some 116,000 Irish jobs are facilitated by Dublin Airport, and about 10,000 jobs for Cork Airport.
“We account for over €5 billion in wages in the Irish economy.
“We make an economic contribution of €9.6 billion in Dublin, and another €1 billion in Cork.
2We spend around €227 million on Irish suppliers each year.
“There is a very significant economic contribution from DAA Group here in Ireland.
“Moving on to Dublin Airport, I would describe it as a positive performance year to date.
“We have 190 destinations, more than we have ever had, and 44 airlines in this coming summer.
“We have recently added Montreal and Vancouver as routes that are being restored post-Covid-19, which is exciting news.
“The Dublin to Beijing route will be operated by Hainan Airlines from China.
“There are 1,400 flights each week across 30 European cities, and 180 flights each week to the USA.
“Dublin is now the fifth best-connected hub for transatlantic in Europe.
“We have around 600 flights a day - around 300 flights in, and 300 out - and more in terminal 1 than we have in terminal 2.”
The airport boss promised the airport experience has improved this year.
Mr Jacobs said: “For me, the real heroes in Dublin Airport are the operational and security staff who have really put in a very strong performance.
“We are in a good place, and the operation is stable.
“The passenger experience, including the time that, critically, is spent getting through security, is and will continue to be the number one focus.
“Queue times are stable since the summer of 2022.
“If I take May 2023, it was our busiest month ever in Dublin Airport.
“We had 3.05 million passengers, 95% of them getting through Dublin Airport in less than 20 minutes.
“I am delighted to be able to say that.
“Principally, the biggest thing that annoyed people last year was the anxiety that was created on how long it was going to take them to get through security. Some 95% got through in May 2023 in less than 20 minutes, and 99.5% of passengers, year to date, have got through security in less than 30 minutes.
“We are in a very different place."
Fine Gael transport spokeswoman, Senator Regina Doherty, welcomed a promise from Mr Jacobs to drop drop-off charges.
She said: “I have vocally opposed the notion of drop-off charges since planning permission was first applied for, back in 2021.
“To penalise motorists without providing a viable alternative transport service would be completely nonsensical, as well as unjustifiable.
“As I’ve said time and time again, while there are plans for eventual improvement, our bus services aren’t up to scratch and we’re still waiting for MetroLink.
“This was always seen for what it was: a money-grabbing exercise and a cop-out from dealing with the real issues around transport connectivity and dealing with congestion.
“That’s why I’m pleased to report that Mr Jacobs confirmed to me – on the record – that despite having planning permission, the DAA has absolutely no plans to introduce drop-off charges within the duration of his term as CEO.
“Mr Jacobs has six years left in the job; that gives the authorities a significant window to plan ahead and ensure that the issues around lack of connectivity to Dublin Airport from certain regions, around transport congestion, and around frequency and reliability of services, are dealt with.
“I am glad that, finally, the DAA has given us clarity and that common sense has prevailed.”
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