California air charter firm diverts 5 Boeing jets with more than 1,000 American passengers on board because Dublin airport was understaffed

• Le Bas International diverted five jets due to Dublin airport's lack of staff, per The Times of London.
• The airport was "so badly staffed" that it couldn't accept the flights, LBI's chairman said.

A California-based air charter company diverted five Boeing jets from Dublin to another Irish location 160 miles away because a staff shortage at Dublin airport meant there were no landing slots available.

The Times of London reported the news.

The diversion meant that more than 1,000 American passengers landed at Kerry airport rather than Dublin, Peter Le Bas, chairman of the brokerage company, Le Bas International (LBI), told the publication.

Dublin airport couldn't land the Boeing 737s because of a lack of staff to handle aircraft, Le Bas added.

The air charter brokerage had tried for six weeks to land a jet at Dublin airport, but only managed to get one plane on the ground there last week, Le Bas said in the publication's interview.

Le Bas told The Times of London that LBI was annoyed that Dublin airport was "so badly staffed" that it couldn't accept the company's business.

"We couldn't get [landing] slots. Dublin slots are 15 minutes apart," Le Bas told The Times of London. "In New York, they're every three minutes. The idea that an international airport can only take four aircraft an hour on a Saturday is ridiculous."

The flights to Dublin were part of corporate incentive trips to Ireland, which were arranged for a client, according to the publication.

Instead, LBI had to turn to a regional Irish airport in Kerry, which was willing to welcome the air charter firm with VIP treatment for its clients despite being busy, according to Le Bas' interview with The Times of London. This saved LBI from telling its top clients they couldn't land in Ireland, Le Bas added.

A spokesperson of Dublin airport told Insider: "We do not comment on commercial agreements or discussions with customers."

LBI didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

A mass redirection of flights isn't unheard of in the airline industry at the moment. Airports and airlines are struggling to recruit the staff needed to cope with the soaring number of passengers, leading to diversions, lost luggage, and flight cancellations.