Passenger traffic at Dublin Airport rises to 28.1 million

PASSENGER TRAFFIC at Dublin Airport rose to 28.1 million people last year as travel numbers picked up again in the wake of the pandemic.

The number compares to the nearly 8.5 million who used the gateway in 2021 as the impact of the Covid crisis continued to affect travel.

The DAA, which operates airports in Dublin and Cork, said passenger traffic in the capital in the last quarter of 2022 reached 96 per cent of 2019 levels.

2.2 million passengers used Dublin Airport in December, an increase of one million compared to December 2021.

In 2019, Dublin Airport handled a record 32.9 million passengers, making it one of the busiest airports in Europe. That year, Dublin Airport saw 233,000 flights serving 177 destinations.

“After two years of disruption from Covid, 2022 was the year international travel came back very strongly,” said the DAA’s new chief executive, Kenny Jacobs.

“Considering that passenger numbers were very low in the first two months of 2022 due to the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, the recovery in passenger numbers from March has far exceeded even the most optimistic travel forecasters’ expectations,” he added added .

Mr Jacobs is due to appear before the Oireachtas Joint Transport and Communications Committee on Wednesday, which is examining Ireland’s new national aviation policy and will also hear from Mr Jacobs on security arrangements and passenger services at Dublin Airport.

Dublin Airport was the focus of intense scrutiny and criticism last May and into early summer for struggling to get passengers through security in time for their flights. The delays resulted in huge queues snaking down the airport access road in late May, with some people missing their flights as a result.

“This resurgence in travel has presented challenges for Dublin Airport and airports around the world,” said Mr Jacobs

He said the Dublin Airport team helped 93 per cent of passengers clear security in under 20 minutes during the extremely busy Christmas period, while 99 per cent cleared security in under 30 minutes.

“Over the coming year we are committed to maintaining that safety record and continuing to improve standards at Dublin Airport so that the traveling public receive the service they have come to expect,” said Mr Jacobs, his former senior executive at Ryanair.