Dublin Airport has a “massive job” ahead of it as it seeks to rebuild trust with the Irish people, a spokesperson for the airport has conceded. 

Following a surge in demand for international trips, travellers have had to endure sporadic outbreaks of chaos at the airport and last weekend well over a thousand missed their flights because of delays going through security. 

“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,” Graeme McQueen from airport operator DAA admitted to Newstalk. 

“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.” 

Passengers wait to board an early morning Ryanair flight at Dublin Airport in May 2012. Picture by: Richard Wayman / Alamy Stock Photo

'An embarrassment to us'

Despite fears that the extra traffic from the long weekend would be too much for the airport to cope with, Mr McQueen said that things were under control and the longest queue going through security today had been 43 minutes. 

However, people across the country remain unimpressed with the airport’s performance. Senator Timmy Dooley of the Oireachtas Transport Committee has described the chaos as “an embarrassment to us” and urged the DAA chief to resign. 

“I think the board should be gone,” he said. 

“They should have fired the Chief Executive a number of weeks ago. I think they should have brought in some strategic management from some other airport.” 

This weekend a poll for the Sunday Times suggests that Senator Dooley speaks for the people - with 83% blaming DAA for the chaos and over half of the opinion that the CEO should resign.

Main image: Queues at Dublin Airport at 3pm in the afternoon on Sunday 29th May. Image: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews