Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports are gearing up for their busiest spell of the year, with more than one million passengers forecast between 11 and 18 March. Dublin alone expects 850,000 arrivals and departures, while Cork Airport projects 53,000 passengers over the bank-holiday weekend and Shannon anticipates 40,000. The surge is driven by three overlapping events: the Cheltenham Festival, the Ireland–Scotland Six Nations rugby clash and global St Patrick’s festivities. Airlines have added extra services—Ryanair, for example, has scheduled additional Birmingham flights for racing fans. Peak days are predicted to be Friday 13 March and Sunday 15 March, when up to 116,000 travellers will transit Dublin Airport. Airport authorities say security-queue times will be monitored in real time and recommend that departing passengers arrive at least two hours before short-haul flights and three before long-haul. Business-travel managers should advise travellers to factor in possible delays at car-hire desks and ground transport, and to book hotel rooms early as accommodation in Dublin is already nearing capacity. The traffic swell underscores Ireland’s growing connectivity and its attractiveness as a venue for major sporting and cultural events—factors frequently cited by multinationals when relocating regional HQs or hosting conferences.
Source: Irish Examiner
