Dublin Airport admits rebuilding public trust will be a 'massive job'

An estimated 1,000 passengers missed their flights from the capital last weekend due to lengthy security queues and understaffing issues.

Ahead of the June Bank Holiday weekend, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) came under pressure to implement a new system that would help combat the chaos, including opening up more security lanes and rostering more staff to work.

And while the new plan “worked well” this weekend, the airport still has a lot of work to do to repair its relationship with flyers.

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Media Relations Manager at DAA Graeme McQueen said: “Look, I think the events over the last week have shown that we’ve got a massive job to do to rebuild trust in Dublin Airport.

“I think that is the full focus of the team. I think there’s been pressure for us to deliver last week and this weekend.

“So far so good on that. There’s no complacency here, we know we need to do better than last weekend and as a team we’re absolutely committed to make that happen.”

Meanwhile, Minister of State for International and Road Transport and Logistics Hildegarde Naughton said that the airport’s Bank Holiday plan was a success.

She said that no passenger missed their flight from Dublin on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

“But this is not just about this weekend, I'm asking the DAA to do whatever it takes to ensure that the summer months ahead are a success for the travelling public, as passenger numbers continue to increase,” she said.

Minister Naughton said that the DAA continues to hire new staff each week and hopes to have employed an additional 370 workers by the end of June.

"We will be keeping a very close eye on this, ensuring that those recruitment numbers are moving in the right direction.

"This is all about the passengers, the confidence of the passengers and I think that's going to be the test at the end of the day and I think a lot of work has to be done really in relation to rebuilding that confidence and that's something that I'm certainly focused on.

"But it will be the DAA who will have to step up to the mark here to ensure that that confidence is restored. I'll be monitoring it very closely," Ms Naughton told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.