A new €200m baggage handling system has been installed at Dublin airport, which aims to speed up the delivery of bags to and from aircraft.
The new system includes 14 kilometres of conveyer belts and covers an area the equivalent to seven GAA pitches.
The daa, the operator of the airport, started installing the system during the Covid-19 pandemic when the airport was quiet.
It said the project involved an upgrading of the overall baggage system in line with European civil aviation standards.
"Having a modern, reliable baggage system with the optimum level of security available for our airlines and their handling partners is vital," said Kenny Jacobs, CEO of the daa.
"The timely delivery of this major project earlier this year means the team at Dublin Airport and our baggage infrastructure are ready for a very busy summer ahead.
"The investment is timely as both the number of passengers and checked-in bags is set to grow over the coming years," he added.
The daa said 95% of the previous equipment has been replaced.
It added that new and improved screening and detection technology has been built into the system, which features more tracking sensors and cameras to enable the early spotting and removal of bag jams - which it said previously had the potential to slow down operations.
"In positive news for arriving passengers, Dublin Airport has also been working closely with handling providers and airlines, who are responsible for the handling of checked-in bags, to ensure quick bag turnaround times for passengers," Mr Jacobs said.
He said the average time it takes for a passenger to receive their luggage at Dublin airport is amongst the lowest in Europe.
"Over the past six weeks, the average time it took for a bag to arrive - from the point the aircraft arrives on stand to when the first bag arrives on the baggage belt - has been 18 minutes, compared to the EU average of 40 minutes," he said.
