Northern Ireland

Fresh hope for Dublin Airport passengers who missed flights on refunds

Lengthy queues outside Dublin Airport. Picture: RTÉ
Lengthy queues outside Dublin Airport. Picture: RTÉ Lengthy queues outside Dublin Airport. Picture: RTÉ

PASSENGERS who missed holidays due to security queue delays at Dublin Airport last month may be able to get the cost of their break refunded.

Dublin Airport operator DAA has given its first indication yet that it may be open to covering the cost of holidays which were missed or cancelled as as result of the delays at security.

Accommodation that was paid for in advance, but was also lost out on as a result of the delays, may also be covered.

Thousands of travellers from the north use Dublin Airport every year, particularly during the peak holiday season.

“All relevant, direct, and reasonably incurred costs that are vouched or substantiated by receipts or evidence will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis,” a spokeswoman for the DAA told the Sunday Independent last week.

The DAA had previously said it would refund reasonable, out-of-pocket expenses – such as a rebooked flight, additional accommodation and transport costs – incurred as a result of the delays.

Around 1,500 passengers missed their flights in Dublin Airport on May 29 following queues at the airport.

However, travellers forced to cancel holidays because of passport backlogs will have little chance of getting any money back, even if they have travel insurance.

Travel insurance does not cover the cost of holidays cancelled as a result of lengthy delays processing passport applications, inquiries by the newspaper also found.

Furthermore, the Irish Passport Office does not offer any compensation to people who have had to cancel holidays due to backlogs – even if they applied for their passport well ahead of time.