More than 850,000 passengers are expected to pass through Dublin Airport over the coming days as the airport prepares for its busiest period of the year so far, driven by a combination of major sporting events and St Patrick's Day celebrations.
Between Tuesday and next Wednesday (March 18), airport officials estimate that approximately 433,000 passengers will arrive in Dublin, while around 418,000 travellers will depart, creating a significant surge in activity across both terminals.
Passenger numbers are expected to increase steadily throughout the week, with several particularly busy days anticipated. The airport is already seeing large numbers of racing fans travelling to the UK for the Cheltenham Festival, which began today and runs until Friday. Thousands of Irish supporters traditionally attend the prestigious horse racing event held in England each year.
The airport will also welcome a wave of visiting rugby supporters ahead of the upcoming Six Nations Championship fixture between Ireland national rugby union team and Scotland national rugby union team. The match will take place on Saturday at Aviva Stadium, with up to 10,000 Scottish fans expected to travel through Dublin Airport for the game.
In addition to sports fans, tens of thousands of international visitors are set to arrive in Ireland for the annual St Patrick's Festival, which attracts large crowds to Dublin and other cities across the country.
The busiest days during the travel period are forecast to be Friday, March 13, and Sunday, March 15, when approximately 116,000 passengers are expected to pass through the airport on each day. In the lead-up to St Patrick’s Day, arrivals will be particularly busy, with between 50,000 and 60,000 passengers expected to arrive daily from Friday through Tuesday.
Passengers travelling during the busy period are advised to allow sufficient time to pass through the airport. Travellers should aim to arrive two hours before short-haul flights and three hours before long-haul departures.
According to Graeme McQueen, Head of Media Relations at daa, the operator of Dublin Airport: “This is always one of the best weeks of the year at Dublin Airport as the Cheltenham Festival, quickly followed by the St Patrick’s Festival, combine to create a great buzz in our terminals. The fact we have the Scottish rugby fans travelling over in the middle of it all, with both countries still in with a chance of winning the Six Nations championship, means this year is going to be extra special.
“If that wasn’t enough, Mother’s Day is this Sunday, so we’re also going to be seeing lots of heart-warming family reunions over the coming days, while many Ireland residents will also take advantage of the bank holiday to jet off for a city break or for some spring sunshine overseas.
“We have a great programme of entertainment lined up in our Arrivals Halls to ensure an extra special welcome for overseas visitors, including face painting, music acts, Irish dancing groups and stilt walkers. The airport is going to be busy, but we love this time of year, and our teams are ready to do all they can to send every passenger off with a smile on their face.”
