December 29, 2023 Back to all news

A busy New Year's weekend lies ahead at Dublin Airport as the post-Christmas exodus continues and as many thousands head off to celebrate New Year's Eve overseas. 

Over the course of the next five days between today (Friday, December 29) and Tuesday (January 2), a total of 454,000 passengers are set to travel through Dublin Airport. Today is the busiest day of the period, with just over 100,000 passing through.

The period will see more passengers departing than arriving, with around 242,000 heading away from Dublin Airport and 212,000 passing through the Arrivals doors.

According to Graeme McQueen, Media Relations Manager at daa, the operator of Dublin Airport: "The happiness and excitement that we saw in the Arrivals halls in the days leading up to Christmas Day, as thousands returned to Ireland to be with their loved ones for Christmas, has been replaced by scenes of a more sombre kind at Departures this week, with people starting to head home again. Flights to the Canaries and the Middle East are really busy, with families heading away to catch some winter sun, and we're seeing lots of skis and snowboards being checked in as people head for the snowy mountains in the likes of France, Austria and Italy." 

Dublin Airport’s passenger advice for those flying over the coming days remains to arrive 2 hours in advance of a short-haul flight, and 3 hours before a long-haul flight. Passengers checking in a bag should allow additional time of up to an hour. 

Mr McQueen said: "The hard work of the Dublin Airport team has ensured a really smooth and positive experience for passengers travelling over the busy Christmas period. To ensure they pass through security screening quickly, we would encourage passengers to prepare for screening by removing their outer jacket, hoodies, belts, keys, coins and laptops from cases, ensuring security searches are kept to a minimum. Passengers seeking help in real time should use our new free WhatsApp text helpline, which allows common travel questions to be submitted and answered within seconds by our dedicated customer service team via 087 175 4287.”