OVER 121,000 passengers per day are expected to travel through Dublin Airport during the busy travel season.
Dublin Airport’s Operator, daa, expects that it will be a record-breaking summer for the bustling airport as over 10million passengers are expected to pass through from June to August.
This summer, passengers have more choices of travel destinations than before, as they now offer up to 190 destinations and more than 2,600 flights departing per week by 43 airlines.
The destinations cover up to 130 top destinations in Europe, while 60 destinations are international.
Due to the greater demands, the officials stated that they aim for at least 90 per cent of passengers to get through security screening in under 20 minutes, similar to last summer.
This came after DAA announced that the security staff had increased by more than 1,000.
However, the restrictions are different for liquids and technology for security screening at both terminals.
Terminal 1 requires tech and liquids to be taken out, while Terminal 2 requires passengers to keep their tech in luggage but take out liquids for scanning at security.
DAA CEO Kenny Jacobs revealed that the new ruling by the EU, which allows liquids to stay in the bags, is “very close” – meaning the restriction may be gone later this summer.
And there are changes to the terminals that will be underway to meet the demands, including more seating, water refill stations and food outlets.
A further 1,000 seats for passengers throughout the terminals have been added, including 420 new seats at boarding gates, over 100 comfortable dwell seats with charging facilities, 150 seats for People with Reduced Mobility, and 350 new seats in landside areas.
23 of the free water refill stations in both terminals have been replaced by new and improved units in time for summer.
ENTERTAINMENT AREAS
Three new kids’ entertainment areas have been added at Departure Gates in T1 and T2, bringing the total to five across both terminals.
A gaming zone for teens containing game consoles will be added later in the summer.
The Pet Relief room in Terminal 2 has been fully upgraded for passengers travelling with service and emotional support animals.
A second Pet Relief room is also being added on Pier 2 in Terminal 1 and will open later this year.
A new Dublin Airport app has been launched, which features real-time flight updates for arrivals and departures, security wait times and details about gate numbers and check-in areas.
There are also 15 new and improved outlets for passengers, including Arthur Guinness Bar, Pret A Manger, Boxx, Kimbok and The Garden Terrace in Terminal 1, which will be followed in mid-summer by the brand new San Marco Italian sit-down restaurant.
In Terminal 2, the newly opened Roasted Notes and Butler’s cafes will soon be joined by a new Irish bar and a wine bar called The Reserve (both airside).
Lastly, the Liffey Lounge and the Martello Lounge both fully revamped.
TRAVEL ADVICE
The DAA chiefs have issued travel advice for passengers ahead of the busy summer season.
Passengers are advised to be in their terminal two hours before a short-haul flight and three hours before a long-haul flight.
They are also urged to check in with their airline when available to do so and see if night-before bag check-in is possible to reduce the waiting times at the airport.
For those who are driving to Dublin Airport, the advice is to book in advance due to demand.
