A security breach at Dublin Airport that saw a man boarding a flight without a passport, ID or boarding pass is “clearly of concern,” the Transport Minister has admitted.

Abdul Ahmead was yesterday fined for boarding the Aer Lingus flight to Birmingham at Dublin Airport without a boarding pass or passport.

He was removed from a seat he had taken on the plane by Airport Police and arrested in Terminal 2.

The 48-year-old with an address at Stanton Street, Newcastle, UK, was taken to the Criminal courts of Justice where he was fined a total of €700.

Eamon Ryan at the launch of the new DART+ fleet carriage protoype on Inchicore Parade today, 29-03-2023. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Speaking this morning, the Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said security will have to be tightened at the airport.

“In any instance where somebody gets through without showing a passport or without showing a boarding pass, clearly it is of concern,” he said.

“We will be discussing with Dublin Airport how they can further tighten the arrangements so that doesn’t happen.”

Mr Ahmead was charged with trespassing with intent to commit an offence and with failure to produce a valid passport or similar document as a non-national in the State.

He was fined €350 for each charge.

DAA

A spokesperson for airport operator DAA said: “We never comment on security matters for obvious reasons.”

“We note the speedy apprehension of the individual in this case by Airport Police, who was caught trespassing without a boarding card after being security screened, and his subsequent arrest by An Garda Siochana and successful prosecution before the courts.

“As with any such incident an internal review is underway.”

"Hugely embarrassing"

Travel expert Eoghan Corry told Newstalk the incident could lead to tighter security - and longer waiting times - at the airport.

“It’s hugely embarrassing for the airport and people will remember the big security queues and the problems that we had last summer,” he said.

“What inevitably happens in a case like this is that security will be upscaled and that will mean extra checks on everybody going through.

“So, it could cause security queues to slow down.”

The incident happened just days after it emerged a DAA whistleblower had warned that security at the airport is not fit for purpose.

DAA chiefs have been invited before the Oireachtas Transport Committee next month to answer questions on the issue.