Long delays have been reported by people passing through Dublin Airport this weekend with queues of up to an hour forming at security as a reduced number of staff struggle to cope with the volume of passengers.
A spokesman for the airport apologised for the delays people have been experiencing and said difficulties in training and recruiting staff in the post-pandemic period were to blame.
He said that the logjam was likely to continue at peak times for the foreseeable future.
Passengers can save time at security screening by being prepared in advance. See our airport security FAQ's to answer questions you may have .https://t.co/O9hZztARcZ pic.twitter.com/W7K8HprSUq
— Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) March 25, 2022
Passengers have been posting images of long queues on social media and expressing frustration at the length of time they have had to wait.
Some have noted the fast track facility, which allows certain cohorts of travellers to bypass the normal queues, has been closed.
“We are working extremely hard to ramp up our operation at Dublin Airport after the collapse of international travel over the past two years,” the spokesman said.
He pointed out the “recruitment, training and background security checks for all staff working at an international airport” take several weeks. “We apologise in advance but queues for security will be experienced at peak hours,” he said.
He encouraged passengers anxious to minimise the impact of delays to to check in bags where possible and to carry the minimum amount with them when presenting at security.
“We would also encourage all passengers to be at the airport a minimum of two hours before boarding a short haul flight and three hours prior to boarding a long-haul flight,” he continued.
According to the spokesman, more than 100 new security staff have been recruited since the start of the year but there have been delays in bringing some of these people into the operation because of the requirement for enhanced background checks for aviation workers that came into effect on January 1st.
“This log jam is now easing, and we hope that more new staff can begin working on the frontline in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers as we work to restore customer service levels to 2019 levels.”
All told, around 1,000 staff left Dublin Airport under a voluntary severance scheme because of the pandemic, and while there is an ongoing recruitment drive to replace frontline staff in areas such as security and retail, “all companies who operate at airports across Europe are experiencing similar challenges as we approach the start of the busy summer season ahead”.
