Dublin Airport: Lack of security staff leads to long queues and missed flights

Passengers departing from Dublin Airport in the coming weeks are advised to arrive up to three hours before their flight departure, as staff shortages led to massive queues in the departures area over the weekend – with some passengers missing their flight.

Assenger posted images on social media today of huge queues winding through the departure lounges of Terminal One and Terminal Two.

Some passengers have posted comments online complaining that they had to wait at least an hour to get through security – including a man who said he missed his flight after waiting more than two hours, to get through.

A spokesman for Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) said in a statement to Independent.ie that a lack of security staff was to blame for the delays and apologized to those affected.

However, the DAA warned that the problem is likely to persist in the coming weeks as new employees are screened and trained, which could take a few weeks.

It advised passengers on short-haul flights to arrive at least two hours before their boarding time, while passengers on long-haul flights should arrive at least three hours before their time.

“Like other airports across Europe, we are currently working very hard to restart our operations at Dublin Airport following the collapse in international travel over the past two years, including recruiting and training staff after 1,000 workers left the airport as part of a voluntary have left the severance program during the Covid-19 pandemic,” the statement said.

Despite hiring more than 100 new security guards since early 2022, training and background checks for all airport staff will take a few weeks.

“This is impacting the time it takes passengers to get through security, particularly at peak times,” the statement said.

“We apologize in advance but there will likely be queues for security at peak times in the coming days and weeks as we continue to bring trained personnel on board.”

“To minimize the impact, we encourage all passengers to check bags wherever they can and carry the minimum amount when going through security.”

The DAA also said some passengers missed their flights due to the delays.

“Fortunately, many of these passengers were accommodated or rebooked on later flights,” the DAA said.

“Dublin Airport Customer Services team is available to answer any questions affected passengers may have regarding their rights. They can be contacted on +353 1 9444717 or by email: customerexperience@dublinairport.com,” the spokesman added.