Airport chiefs steering out of turbulence

Plan for pick-up charge is dropped 

- FERGHAL BLANEY

DUBLIN Airport chiefs are confident travellers will have a hassle-free summer with no passenger pick-up or drop-off charges introduced.

Hundreds of extra staff are being hired, at €22 an hour, which it is hoped will prevent the chaos witnessed last summer during peak times.

There have been 500 new hires this year and there are now over 850 security staff working at the airport.

Air travellers had to wait for hours to get through security last year with queues snaking out of the main terminals as the airport struggled to meet demand.

Dublin Airport Authority chief executive, Kenny Jacobs, was before the Oireachtas Transport Committee and promised the authority better is prepared going into the peak holiday months of the summer.

Mr Jacobs told the TDs and Senators about the huge economic impact of the DAA.

He said: "Some 116,000 Irish jobs are facilitated by Dublin Airport, and about 10,000 jobs for Cork Airport. We account for over €5billion in wages in the Irish economy.

"We make an economic contribution of €9.6bn in Dublin, and another €1bn in Cork.