Visiting dignitaries should not land at Dublin Airport in the mid- morning because welcoming ceremonies and guards of honour were delaying flights, Dublin Airport’s operator urged the Government in 1993. Newly released files from the National Archives show that Aer Rianta lodged its views with the Government after passengers in 1992 were unable to disembark flights on the day the German president Richard von Weizacker landed. Noting that the then-operator had faced a significant number of complaints from affected passengers, a senior Aer Rianta executive, Don Treacy, said all activity on the tarmac had to halt for such ceremonies, usually lasting 15 minutes. Expressing concern that the arrival of dignitaries in the summer months would happen when Dublin Airport was at its busiest, he asked if it was possible to ensure that VIP arrivals happened at a time other than mid-morning. Aer Rianta was happy to accommodate VIP arrivals, but there had been complaints and he wanted to try to improve the situation before it became too difficult.

Source: The Irish Times December 27, 2025 09:02 UTC