Visitors planning to fly internationally during the Easter Bank Holiday weekend are being cautioned about the likelihood of Dublin airport’s car parks reaching maximum capacity.
This is the first instance in the current year where the major Irish airport is struggling with its parking capacity, largely due to restrictions imposed on the airport’s management, preventing them from expanding the area by another 6,200 slots.
The intended acquisition of the neighbouring former Quick Park by DAA was recently overruled by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), over concerns that the monopolisation of parking spaces would result in inflated pricing. DAA has expressed that it might legally challenge this decision.
The airport released a statement early this week predicting nearly half a million passengers in the coming Easter weekend, with a noticeable surge in demand expected for both short and long-term parking spaces. These are predicted to be fully booked, from Friday through to mid next week.
Graeme McQueen, the media relations manager, advised that the airport’s parking will be at maximum occupancy over the weekend. Passengers are encouraged, in cases where parking slots are not pre-booked, to either take public transport, taxis, or arrange for drop-off.
With around 100,000 passengers anticipated on a daily basis from Thursday to Monday, Friday is foreseen to be the peak day, with estimated passenger numbers at 104,000. Important travel advice has been given to passengers to arrive two hours in advance of short distance flights, and three hours for long haul flights.
The CCPC’s decision has led to worries of limited parking availability hitting home for commuters this summer. Yet, with multiple initially unsuccessful contenders expected to reignite their interest in the parking facilities, the fate of summer parking availability is still uncertain.