Dublin Airport has said it will increase its security staff by 45 per cent by next month in a bid to cut delays caused by tightened security measures.
The Dublin Airport Authority (DDA) said today it will have recruited and trained 120 new staff by mid-June and that it will also open five extra passenger screening channels, bringing the total to 17.
Passengers have faced long delays to get through to boarding areas recently after it emerged officials carrying out a security audit had been able to smuggle weapons, including a knife and fake bomb, onto aircraft.
The DDA said maximum queueing times at the airport's passenger security areas are now 15 minutes at peak periods on weekdays and 25 minutes at the busiest holiday periods and at weekends.
"As additional security personnel and equipment are brought on stream, this situation should further improve," the authority said in a statement.
Some 100 staff will be available in the terminals and in the baggage hall to assist passengers at busy periods during the summer season.
"We have moved as quickly as possible to direct additional resources into this priority area, given the physical constraints of the terminal building and the three-week training period for new security staff," said Robert Hilliard, director at Dublin Airport.