The chaotic scenes at Dublin Airport security over the past few days are an absolute disgrace.
Passengers queuing for over two to three hours to get through security with many sadly missing their flights due to the sheer incompetence of the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) which runs the airport.
At one stage last Sunday, there were only two security lanes open at Terminal One.
Imagine saving to go on a holiday and then it takes you forever to get airside and you don’t make your flight. Shameful.
We really have to ask what planet is the airport’s management on and where have they been for the last two years?
The DAA doesn’t give a damn about passengers - all it is obsessed with is making money.
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It is more concerned about bringing in its big new plan to charge people for the privilege of dropping people off at the airport when there is clearly inadequate public transport, than improving the passenger experience.
We all know international travel was one of the biggest industries affected by the Covid pandemic. Passenger numbers plunged by nearly 95pc.
Thousands of staff were laid off as every airport in the country was deserted. I remember being in Shannon one day, there were two people there and you could hear a pin drop.
Things got so bad at one stage that the Government wanted no one leaving or entering the country except for emergency reasons and a Garda checkpoint was actually set up to stop you from flying from Dublin.
We all felt for all the staff in the shops, bars , security and the airlines who were laid off indefinitely on the 350 quid a week Pandemic Unemployment Payment, and suffered massive pay cuts.
But in any business there is an old saying forward: planning is the future.
The whole world knew that at some stage the travel industry would return to normal and be busier than ever. Except, it seems, the DAA.
So they had two years to plan and prepare, to rehire the staff laid off, and to ensure they had enough people at security so you and I can go about our business without being delayed before we even leave the country.
Judging by the queues and the pictures from the airport over the weekend, they have failed dismally.
The DAA’s apology to passengers is pathetic and just shows their sheer arrogance and incompetence.
It said; “ Queues at security are likely to be experienced at peak hours over the days and weeks ahead. We apologise to passengers impacted.
“ 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 hiring and training of staff.’
I have flown all over Europe in the past several weeks and trust me there are no delays at other airports like there are in Dublin.
The fact is, they knew the airport would get busy again as the nation returned to normal and failed to hire enough people.
They had two long hard years to get ready for this and failed to deliver.
Flying through Dublin Airport should be an enjoyable experience not a battle of queues, wits and nerves.
The DAA is owned by you and me, the taxpayers. Its chief executive Dalton Philips is paid a fortune and should be fired. He has failed miserably to do his job and is his boss the MInister of Transport Eamon Ryan should call him in and hold him to account.
There is no excuse for what has happened over the weekend.
I pity all the families travelling with young children and now we have the Easter and summer breaks coming up.
The vast majority of people turn up for their flight two hours beforehand and now the DAA says you must come earlier. Perhaps Dalton and his useless management team would like us to get there the day before so we will be guaranteed to catch our plane?
I know one thing - if Ryanair boss Michael O’ Leary was running the airport, there would be none of this nonsense.
Do your job and get the airport sorted, Dalton or get off the stage. Enough is enough.
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