DUBLIN AIRPORT HAS said it is coping well with an “extremely busy” Friday as over 200,000 passengers are expected to fly out over the coming four days.

Over 50,000 passengers are expected to depart the airport today.

In a statement, Dublin Airport said that the busiest period of the day had already passed and that the majority of people were through security in 30 minutes.

Over 200,000 passengers are expected to fly out from Dublin over the next four days.

A spokesman for Dublin Airport said: “Friday will be another extremely busy day, with more than 51,000 passengers departing Dublin Airport.

“We have had a busy first wave of departures, our busiest period of the day, with the majority of passengers passing through the security screening area in under 30 minutes.

“We continue to ask all passengers to heed our advice – to be at the airport 2.5 hours before a short-haul flight or 3.5 hours prior to a long-haul departure, with up to an additional hour allowed if checking in a bag if possible by checking with their airline.”

Earlier this week, it emerged that a group representing US airlines wrote to Transport Minister Eamon Ryan demanding urgent action over the “significant delays” at the airport.

The letter from Airlines for America (A4A) to the minister raised a number of issues which are affecting the operations of their member airlines – American, Delta, United and Air Canada – at Dublin Airport.

It is understood the letter stated the delays are damaging travellers’ impression of Ireland. The group added that it is also causing passengers to miss connecting flights.