High demand will see Dublin Airport welcome 11 million passengers this summer

Airport announces passenger advice for summer travellers.

Every day this summer to see airport welcome 100k+ passengers.

Improvements galore in store for passengers.

Demand to fly in and out of Ireland continues to grow, with Dublin Airport set to welcome around 11 million passengers over the upcoming busy summer months – around 2% more than travelled last summer.

Through the peak summer months of June, July and August, Dublin Airport is expecting more than 3.5 million passengers each month, ranging from sunseekers to business travellers and many thousands of tourists and visitors coming to visit all 32 counties in Ireland.

The airport expects more than 100,000 passengers to travel through the airport every day between the start of June and the end of August, with the airport’s previous record busiest day (130,427 passengers on August 10^th, 2025) almost certain to be eclipsed.

Airport Improvements

Airport operator daa has announced details of a host of improvements that will ensure smooth journeys and smiles on the faces of passengers over the busy months ahead, including additional seating, taxi rank improvements, revamped baby feeding facilities, new food and drink options, and better wayfinding.

Passengers can also look forward to bigger and better lounges at Dublin Airport this summer following the recent opening of the revamped 51^st & Green Lounge in Terminal 2, which is accessible to passengers heading to the US, and the brand new The Phoenix Lounge in Terminal 1, which can accommodate upwards of 300 passengers. A new upstairs Fast Track facility has also opened in Terminal 1, offering a more luxurious option for passengers seeking to get their trip off in style.

Better Route Choice

Passengers have more choice than ever before this summer at Dublin Airport, with more than 190 destinations and upwards of 2,600 departing flights per week on offer from 40+ airlines to more than 130 cities in Europe, including top summer holiday destinations.

Dublin Airport’s schedule this summer features a number of exciting new additions, including European destinations such as Oslo in Norway and Asturias in Spain, and North American options such as Pittsburgh and Raleigh-Durham in North Carolina. Existing North American routes are growing also, with Aer Lingus increasing the frequency of its Indianapolis and Nashville services, while Delta is now flying daily to Detroit (up from 4x weekly last summer). Due to demand, Aer Lingus has also added additional late in the day flights to both JFK in New York and Boston.

Demand for the Far East is strong too, and the coming weeks will see Hainan Airlines make its Dublin to Beijing service daily (from 4x per week currently), while China Eastern will start operating a 3x weekly service between Dublin and Shanghai.

Our links to the Middle East are increasing this summer too, with Etihad flying 2x daily to Abu Dhabi (up from 10x weekly last summer) and Qatar Airways now up to 17 flights per week between Dublin and Doha (versus 14x per week last summer).

Summer Travel Advice

Passengers departing from Dublin Airport this summer are advised to arrive at the airport two hours before a short-haul flight and three hours prior to a long-haul flight.

daa is once again aiming to get 95%+ of passengers through security screening in under 20 minutes – just as it did in each of the past two summers.

With the roll-out of new C3 scanning technology now complete in both terminals at Dublin Airport, passengers are reminded that the old 100ml liquids rule has now gone and that liquids and gels can be carried in hand luggage in containers of up to 2 litres, with no limit on the number of items that can be carried. Passengers no longer need to remove liquids and gels, nor electronics, from their hand luggage when passing through security screening.

However, passengers due to fly back to Dublin Airport are advised to check the liquids rules at their return airport to find out whether the 100ml limit is still in place there.

Commentary on Summer 2026 at Dublin Airport

According to Dublin Airport Managing Director Gary McLean: “It’s going to be another very busy summer at Dublin Airport with the appetite to fly, both into and out of Ireland, as high as ever. Demand to fly through Dublin Airport continues to grow and numbers travelling this summer look set to eclipse last year’s record levels.

“Through the first three months of the year, passenger numbers at Dublin Airport were up by around 9%. This was mainly the result of the lifting of the winter slot capacity restriction, which was in place for the corresponding period in 2025. Passenger numbers continued to increase in April, albeit at a slower low single-digit pace, and this trend is expected to continue over the coming months with numbers travelling during the peak summer months expected to be up around 2% on last year.

“We’re looking forward to another busy but smooth summer period at Dublin Airport and the team can’t wait to welcome everyone. Our aim is to send passengers on their way with a smile on their face, delivering the good standards that we have been over the past few years, which have led to our passenger satisfaction scores being maintained at all-time high levels (9.5 out of 10 for arriving passengers in Q1 2026 and 8.8 out of 10 for departing passengers). Our relentless focus on improving standards and removing pain points for passengers continues in the terminals and we’re confident this will make journeys even more pleasant this summer. We continue to listen closely to passenger feedback to identify areas where we can improve, and this is allowing the team to make changes that will make travel easier for our passengers.

“We’re keen to remind passengers that the 100ml limit on liquids has now been removed at Dublin Airport, following the completion last year of the rollout of new C3 scanners in both terminals. Many people will be using these scanners for the first time this summer so it is important to be aware of the changed rules which mean individual containers of up to 2 litres can be carried in hand luggage,” said McLean.

Busiest Routes

The most popular routes this summer are set to be:

1) London Heathrow;

2) Amsterdam;

3) Manchester;

4) Malaga;

5) Faro.