So I flew from Donegal to Dublin and was channeled through passport control ...... DAFUQ??

Jeremy Sproket

I recently for the novelty of it flew to CFN and back for the novelty of flying in the Fokker and just for the general craic.

When I landed in CFN I walked straight out as if I was in Busaras or Connolly Station I spent the night there and flew back the next day ..... I was channelled through passport control ....is this a temporary covid restriction? If not, why would internal flights have to go through passport control. Bizarre.

IngazZagni

Simply put there aren't enough domestic flights to warrant creating a brand new exit for domestic passengers.

If you show passport control your ticket I believe you don't need to show a passport.

Jeremy Sproket

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117730718#Comment_117730718

What about the hundreds of CTA flights? I believe pre Covid there was up to a hundred flights a day from London alone (LGW, LHR, STN, LTN, LCY, SEN), not to mention, MAN, LPL, LPL which would be in addition to these.

I'd prefer if we joined Schengen either as a whole island or with or without the UK (I know it might mean a hard border of the k didn't follow). But as is why isn't the CTA properly implemented?

IngazZagni

The CTA conversation has been had a lot here. In short our rules are different to the UK as the CTA only applies to Irish and UK citizens so passport control will check the identity of those coming on flights as they often have a lot of non UK or Irish citizens. As far as I know in the UK it applies to everyone so only spot checks are done.

jmlad2020

Donegal is in the UK that's why

Jeremy Sproket

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117730767#Comment_117730767

But it's not logical, you could fly to Derry and just walk to Donegal and thus into the nation.

You could fly to BFS and get the train down.

You could probably fly into KIR or CFN from the UK and avoid passport control.

Jeremy Sproket

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117730770#Comment_117730770

😂 😂🤣

IngazZagni

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117730773#Comment_117730773

All true but this has been the way for decades now. It's not the airports decision but rather the Department of Justice's.

You could apply the same logic to the last year. Travel banned or PCR tests needed for UK to Dublin but you could just fly to Belfast and get the bus down no problem.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117730773#Comment_117730773

If you go back and search on the topic, you will find posts by INIS staff explaining that there was a serious abuse of the CTA provisions by passengers arriving by air into Ireland from GB, who did not have valid visas to do so, from about the time the Celtic Tiger economic boom started in the 1990s.

It would appear that this was not replicated across the land border with NI (or by ferry) to the same degree. They do spot checks on cross-border buses and trains and at the ports, and would be aware of the levels of abuse of the immigration laws by doing that.

Simply put, it was reported that the numbers trying to enter Ireland by air illegally from GB were significant, and hence we have the rules that we have.

L1011

We're not having the CTA conversation again.