Chaos at Dublin Airport

Foxhound38

What on earth is going on at Dublin Airport? After weeks of stories of people having to queue out the door, staff assaulting passengers, mass brawls, people being asked to pay to use the drop-off zone, goods being stolen from luggage and now today the airport itself treated us to this statement:

The should send someone on the DAA board into the airport with a megaphone, get them to read out that statement and get people to pay to watch the livestream - that would easily provide enough money to properly staff what is apparently our major international Airport. I am due to go on a flight from there later this month and I think I'm going to need xanex to stop myself from completely losing it if this is the way it's going to be.

Yurt2

Dublin Airport is the pits.

I don't know if there's a business case to be made for airlines to shift flights to Cork / Shannon / Knock / Kerry, but all I know is flying out of those airports is a much more pleasant experience.

I'd suspect easily 1 out of every 2 passengers are travelling to Dublin Airport from elsewhere in the country in the natural catchment area of the above regional aiports, so why not slash fees etc for airlines to attract routes to them?

Someone in aviation will likely tell me that there's a good reason why Dublin has in effect become the state's only airport of scale, but all I know is I hate flying out of there.

Yurt2

Also a lot of Northerners make use of Dublin Airport also.

I think Dublin Airport's business plan was to make DA a mini-Schipol or Heathrowesque hub and absolutely stack the airport with routes to pay off the cost of Terminal 2, but on a contstrained site and with sh*te facilities.

Dara O'Brian tweeted the other day there was one passport control officer on duty when he came through Dublin Airport. That's Mickey Mouse stuff.

munster87

Yeah, terrible management.

People in charge just aren’t capable. A common occurrence.

https://twitter.com/rtenews/status/1530883517948825600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1530883517948825600%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rte.ie%2Fnews%2F2022%2F0529%2F1301834-dublin-airport%2F

Would not like to be stood waiting there.

Foxhound38

Look at this chaos. In what world is this the way to run an airport?

Is it something to do with the checks they failed and now maybe have the scanners ramped up to the max?

duefrine

I was in that q today... From starting at the back of the q at 11 o'clock, to sitting having a pint of Guinness 2 hours 15 minutes.....

hotmail.com

Philip Boucher Hayes reckons people need to check their privilege before complaining about the queues.

theteal

I was under the impression that the issues of a few weeks ago were resolved and things getting back to "normal" but that shiz is crazy. One of the lads flew over here last Wednesday, attempted to go up the escalator from arrivals to departures but got pointed to the queue outside (approx 18:00). It took him over an hour to get through security and it was fairly grim once through, no chance of a bit of hot food without another soul destroying queue.

I'll be flying into and out of Dublin twice over the next 3/4 weeks and I'm really not looking forward to it now - especially the 2nd trip with kids and luggage in tow

hotmail.com

Surely at this stage the head of the DAA is incompetent and should be replaced by someone else.

Get Real

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119130021#Comment_119130021

The situation is no doubt disgraceful and management can definitely act to change it but that takes time.

I'm not defending management BTW but when you sit down and analyse, there's no quick fix solution. It's not unique to Dublin, with queues out into the multistorey carpark in Manchester, delays in Edinburgh, huge crowds at Schipol etc.

There's been a colossal shift in the labour market generally in Europe and it will take time for individual companies and bodies on a microeconomic scale, to catch up and adapt to a wider macroeconomic problem.

First and foremost, that's wages. Simple supply and demand. And I think companies are only starting to comprehend that now and reluctantly implement change.

If we look back to 2010,2012 and that period, people were taking jobs at 8.65-9 euro region. There was no shortage of staff in the likes of McDonald's, retail and that. DAA were hiring in 2015 for 12.50 an hour. Again, no shortage of applicants, no issues with queues on this scale.

Now at 14.14 starting wage, there are huge staffing problems with a lack of ability to hire and retain. We're in a market where there are more jobs than labour supply and people have more options.

Personally I hope for wage increases at lower levels, and a subsequent "trickle up" affect into the salaries of other jobs.

But this staffing issue can be seen with queues at establishments generally and has not been created uniquely by DAA management, nor is it solely a Dublin Airport issue or even an airport issue. Its a labour supply issue generally affecting multiple sectors.

While I don't blame DAA for that, I do blame them for being slow in taking the opportunity to fix it, and make changes.

But I do think it's more complex than seeing problem A (crazy videos of queues) and within 5 seconds slating Management. When it's a combination of numerous problems, again not just unique to the Airport, or Ireland.

Liberty_Bear

All over FB this morning there was people showing the queues going out the door, backed up around the entrance. The wages are shite. Pay peanut and you get monkey (pox)

wonski

Can't DAA try to recruit some of those in the queues? They will miss their flight, will need some extra cash to rebook their holidays so why not to hire them on the spot?

On a serious note that is a disaster and not what people going for holidays are to expect.

Hope they will sort it out by the end of next month as I don't want to be in that queue.

titan18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119130319#Comment_119130319

It's been like this for 10 months now (we've had threads on here since September). It won't be fixed

titan18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119130308#Comment_119130308

Takes time? How long do they fecking need? This has been an issue for a good bit of time now and even pre pandemic Dublin airport was ****. If they haven't fixed it by now, they won't.

Atlantic Dawn

Will the compensation DAA need to pay to each passenger who missed a flight just be the cost of the flight or will it be like EU flight delays where it could be many hundreds?

Those who checked in bags will have a receipt for the time they dropped them off so can prove they were at the airport x hours before scheduled take-off.

Staleturnips

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119130180#Comment_119130180

FFS a pick-up and trailer pulled across the entrance to block it!

What next silage bale chicane to slow traffic? Embarrassing.

freemickey

The wages aren't enough to pay for housing.

Housing is extortionate because there are too many people.

Bring in cheap labour from abroad.

Now housing costs more because there's more people squeezed in.

The wages aren't enough to pay for housing.

Housing is extortionate because there are too many people.

Bring in cheap labour from abroad.

Now housing costs more because there's more people squeezed in.

The wages aren't enough to pay for housing.

Housing is extortionate because there are too many people.

Bring in cheap labour from abroad.

Now housing costs more because there's more people squeezed in.

The wages aren't enough to pay for housing.

Housing is extortionate because there are too many people.

Bring in cheap labour from abroad.

Now housing costs more because there's more people squeezed in.

The wages aren't enough to pay for housing.

Housing is extortionate because there are too many people.

Bring in cheap labour from abroad.

Now housing costs more because there's more people squeezed in.

The wages aren't enough to pay for housing.

Housing is extortionate because there are too many people.

Bring in cheap labour from abroad.

Now housing costs more because there's more people squeezed in.

The wages aren't enough to pay for housing.

Housing is extortionate because there are too many people.

Bring in cheap labour from abroad.

Now housing costs more because there's more people squeezed in.

The wages aren't enough to pay for housing.

Housing is extortionate because there are too many people.

Bring in cheap labour from abroad.

Now housing costs more because there's more people squeezed in.

The wages aren't enough to pay for housing.

Housing is extortionate because there are too many people.

Bring in cheap labour from abroad.

Now housing costs more because there's more people squeezed in.

The wages aren't enough to pay for housing.

Housing is extortionate because there are too many people.

Bring in cheap labour from abroad.

Now housing costs more because there's more people squeezed in.

The wages aren't enough to pay for housing.

Housing is extortionate because there are too many people.

Bring in cheap labour from abroad.

Now housing costs more because there's more people squeezed in.

The wages aren't enough to pay for housing.

Housing is extortionate because there are too many people.

Bring in cheap labour from abroad.

Now housing costs more because there's more people squeezed in.

The wages aren't enough to pay for housing.

Housing is extortionate because there are too many people.

Bring in cheap labour from abroad.

Now housing costs more because there's more people squeezed in.

The wages aren't enough to pay for housing.

Housing is extortionate because there are too many people.

Bring in cheap labour from abroad.

Now housing costs more because there's more people squeezed in.

I HAVE AN IDEA! LETS GET MORE CHEAP LABOUR FROM ABROAD!

THIS TIME ITS FOR REALS!

or it's just a pyramid collapsing in real time.

Gael23

It’s going to hit boiling point later in June when school holidays start.

The problems look to be mainly in T1?

Stephen_Maturin

Don’t know how the management haven’t been hauled in front of an Oireachtas committee to explain themselves.

It’s a disgrace, total embarrassment to the country - first and last thing the majority of tourists will see

McDermotX

It's like the bleedin Thunderdome these days

Kermit.de.frog

https://mobile.twitter.com/boucherhayes/status/1530856844964552704

Oh f**k off

emo72

Boucher Hayes, you absolute idiot.

Subzero3

The airlines should grow balls and move the flights to other airports until DAA prove they can run an airport. Its both the airlines and the DAA's fault.

Sir_Name

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119129994#Comment_119129994

DAA actually owns/operates Cork airport, which is literally like tumbleweed there at times. All the funding and push has been at Dublin and other airports that would help national capacity have been forgotten.

now Dublin airport can’t cope.

when they opened the new terminal in cork they should have let Ryanair take over the old terminal like they wanted. But DAA wanted control. Cork could have many more flights to many other routes which would be good for all involved, especially the consumer who right now has to go to Dublin to fly to a lot of countries.

mikemac2

The DAA CEO was sacked by Morrisons and humiliated by the board of directors.

Why has he not been hauled before an Oireachtas committee?

I see he is on YouTube in an old video preaching about his Christian faith. A Christian would not give out 20 hour contracts and expect staff to be available for 40 hours

whisky_galore

Typical Ireland, no ones to blame and incompetence is rewarded.

Furze99

Simple enough, don't fly.

Save your temper and save the planet.

Just stop going on foreign holidays lads, it's that easy. Chuck a few grand at a hotel in Kerry for the week. Sorted. Unless you've kids. Then you're fooked.

FFVII

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119130301#Comment_119130301

The guards cancelled 1000s of domestic abuse calls during covid and apparently we were lucky the top guy stayed on in his job.

I feel so lucky.

Head of DAA should expect a raise at this stage id imagine.

Though Varadkar should be honoured first for allowing DAA to be able to hire staff at the airport on 20hour contracts with those T&Cs. And we apparently struggling with cost of living.

Many of those in that que voted for these clever lads so to good for them.

FFVII

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119132061#Comment_119132061

If you look up many CEOs you find they've been ran out of some previous company.

But not in Ireland. We love them here. Same with doctors struck off in other countries....we dont even check their licence.

They're grand.

Agent Coulson

This is Schiphol airport today, Dublin isn't alone Schiphol has cancelled 100's of flights today.

https://twitter.com/DutchBoyBKK/status/1530883916361515008?s=20&t=pifEb9HTKPkHuT3fmh0-TA

There are things that could have been done. Ranting about how other countries have similar problems is just a way of avoiding taking proactive and often unpopular action to resolve the problem. Perhaps the following could have been done 3-4 months ago:

• Incentivise more online check-ins / invest in more automated means, even for baggage.
• Bring in the army for security assistance; pat downs etc., so more trained staff can open up more security queues.
• Up the pay massively for key positions and promote accordingly; though this should have been done months ago.
• Reduce capacity of flights at the airport until it can be managed to a sufficiently satisfactorily level. There's no point allowing a volume of flights to take place in 2-months if the means to manage those flights and ensure all passengers can make it, are non-existent.

The average traveller will also need to ask themselves whether they are willing to take the risk of getting a flight. This may itself discourage the numbers attending the airport.

OptiPlus

I'm trying to plan ahead now for my Thursday morning flight... Could anyone tell me how soon before an aer Lingus flight can I check in my bag?

Quitelife

Is it all to do with cost cutting / getting rid of experienced staff on redundancy by DAA and then trying to rehire people on minimum wage but they cant get staff?

mikemac2

Bringing in the army is embarrassing. The Taoiseach already addressed that and said they have their own work to do.

Clearing snow. Bus strike. Rubbish collection. The Defence Forces seem to the first solution. How demoralising must that be. Lackeys to get the government out of trouble.

This can be solved without them and a first step is offering competitive terms and conditions. 20 hours per week while being available for 40 hours is not that. You would get a better job in Tesco. Not knocking, I had a good job in McDonalds in the past. Regular hours and never messed up wages. 20 hours while being available for 40 hours is not a good offer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119132298#Comment_119132298

What?

The Irish Army has exactly what to do?

TheRiverman

Why are the Airlines not moving flights to our other Airports ?

titan18

It's not even the queues which are bad enough. They can't even clean the toilets in the airport. There's an actual smell inside there at times.

mikemac2

They did not sign up to bail out semi-states and let the government off the hook

What is your job? We can find an educated service member to do it for a lower rate

HBC08

Top story in the news and meeting with DAA being brought forward to first thing in the morning.

Loads of money will be thrown at this now in an inefficient manner.

Imagine requesting the army to facilitate the smooth processing of our main airport during peace times...Christ.

whatawaster81

A family member flew out to the States on Saturday and her luggage still hasn't turned up. Officially missing. Doubt she's the only one.

Went through today, arrived at 5.15 for a USA flight and just made it to the gate at 9 for a 9.20 flight. Half the security counters were closed. Absolutely ridiculous.

fryup

re route half the flights to shannon and cork 'simples sergei'

after all half the passengers are coming up from the sticks anyway so the drive home will not be a major inconvenience

seamus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119132396#Comment_119132396

We're still in exceptional times. Many other airports globally are having the same issue. Bringing in the army to help in exceptional times is standard fare. They've been used in the past to drive busses during strikes, to organise vaccination centres, to collect bins. Is that embarrassing too?

Better craic for these lads than sitting in the barracks doing drills, and definitely better than patrolling some godforsaken hellhole with a gun in your hand.

Not excusing DAA making a balls and creating this issue in the first place, but this is a temporary and urgent situation. Exceptional solutions are required.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119133290#Comment_119133290

It's not a bad idea, but it also requires lots off add-on stuff. For every flight that comes in, you need enough busses to bring the passengers to Dublin. Of course, not everyone is going to Dublin, but lots of tourists will have hotels or other arrangements made in Dublin, returning travellers will have cars parked in Dublin, etc. Would you rather a few hours waiting in line in Dublin or a few hours driving back and forth between Dublin and Shannon.

Lillyfae

Meanwhile in Cork Airport they can't even open the restaurant at dinner time because there isn't enough demand.

DAA are a disgrace.

subpar

A short term measure to alliviate the congestion why not move some flight departures , where possible, into the time period between midnight and 6.00 a.m.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119133394#Comment_119133394

And the destination airports will be ok with this ?

Bombaby1974

Another thing which ads to the problem albeit in a small way is the fact that people travelling with Aer Lingus can't check in online if they have a passport card.,

Ryanair? No Problem.

Reading this yesterday I upgraded my card to a book just to try and save some time in the airport in 4 weeks time and then again in 6 weeks with the kids in tow.

Fingers crossed they get this mess cleared up soon.