Dublin Airport braces for an enormous footfall record in St. Patrick’s Week

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Dublin Airport is poised for an exceptionally bustling week during this St. Patrick’s period, preparing to extend a warm welcome with the ‘green carpet’ to a diverse group of visitors. This includes the triumphant return of Oscar laureates, enthusiasts heading to the Cheltenham Festival, rugby supporters, and a massive influx of celebrants for St. Patrick’s Day from across the globe.

In the span of the next eight days, stretching from today until the following Monday, the airport anticipates facilitating the movement of over 650,000 passengers, both arriving and departing. The apex of this busy stretch is expected on Friday, with projections estimating the footfall to be around 105,000 passengers. This figure is broken down into 51,000 arrivals and 54,000 departures.

The airport has issued a reminder to travelers, advising them to reach the airport two hours in advance for short-haul flights and three hours earlier for long-haul flights, ensuring a smooth departure process.

The commencement of this hectic period was marked by a large number of horse racing enthusiasts setting off to England for the Cheltenham Racing Festival. This is just the beginning of a week filled with notable arrivals, including Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy, and the expected hundreds of thousands of tourists congregating for the St. Patrick’s Day festivities. The allure of Cheltenham for Irish racing aficionados remains strong, evidenced by the heavy traffic anticipated on flights to southern England in the days to come.

The surge in tourist arrivals is set to intensify from Thursday, with an estimated 183,000 individuals flying into Dublin Airport in the lead-up to St. Patrick’s Day. Among these will be approximately 5,000 Scottish rugby fans arriving for the climax of the Six Nations rugby tournament at the Aviva Stadium. Additionally, the extended bank holiday weekend presents a perfect opportunity for many to embark on city breaks or spring vacations, adding to the festive atmosphere.

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