Dublin Airport is bracing for an incredibly busy bank holiday weekend in August, with car parks fully booked and 472,000 passengers expected to transit through the airport. DAA, the airport operators, advised individuals without a parking reservation to consider public transportation or arrange a drop-off. They also advised passengers to arrive two hours before short-haul flights and three hours before long-haul flights.
Sunday is predicted to be the most bustling day of the weekend with over 120,000 passengers. Throughout the weekend, the airport expects approximately 234,000 departures and around 238,000 arrivals.
Sarah Ryan, the DAA’s director of communications, stated on Dublin Airport’s website that the weekend was set to be one of their busiest to date. She attributed the surge in passenger numbers to the kickoff of the football season in Scotland and England, which spurs more travel. Additionally, flights to France are likely to be packed with fans en route to the Paris Olympics.
In anticipation of the traffic surge, measures such as additional seating, increased free wifi speed and extra phone charging ports have been put in place to improve the passenger experience, according to Ms Ryan.
The issue of parking scarcity at the airport has come to the fore over the past two summers, especially after QuickPark, termed by DAA’s CEO Kenny Jacobs as the airport’s “best car park,” was listed for sale by property tycoon Gerry Gannon. Although the DAA’s bid for the property was initially accepted, it was subsequently blocked by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CPCC).