IT IS EXPECTED that 615,000 more passengers will pass through Dublin Airport this Christmas compared to last year. 

The DAA said today that new travel restrictions have made it “more difficult” to forecast passenger numbers but that it expects in the region of 850,000 passengers to fly in and out of Dublin Airport this Christmas. 

This figure represents a 162% jump on the 235,000 passengers that travelled through the country’s main airport last year but a 42% decrease on the 1.5 million people who passed through the airport in 2019. 

The period covered is Friday 17 December to Tuesday 4 January. 

The anticipated Christmas traffic will see about 45,000 departing and arriving passengers each day this year, with the busiest days expected to be 19 December and 23 December. 

DAA is also advising anyone planning to greet people as they land in the country that they should meet them outside the terminal building. 

All arrivals into Ireland are now required to have a recent negative Covid test, with professionally administered antigen tests from the previous 48 hours or PCR tests from the previous 72 hours both acceptable. 

The Department of Transport said this week that at least 10% of arrivals were checked for a negative test, with 100% on some flights. 

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Further travel requests are also now being asked of people arriving into Ireland from Britain, in addition to the negative test requirement. 

All passengers arriving in Ireland from Britain are advised to undertake daily antigen tests for five consecutive days. They are advised to self-isolate immediately and seek a PCR test if they develop symptoms or have a positive antigen test. 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin last night emphasised that the measure “is advice” and “not regulatory”, describing it as “an additional precaution”. 

Speaking to reporters yesterday, An Taoiseach said he was not envisaging additional travel restrictions ahead of Christmas.