On Saturday we reported that the new airport opened and said that we expected problems as staff got used the new set  up. We have now received reports from some of the first travellers to use the new terminal confirming this and other issues.

Our readers write:

On arriving at the entrance we had the same problem as with the old terminal with coaches unloading onto the footpath that is not wide enough for people to pass whilst they are doing so.

We entered the building and had a smooth transfer through the smart new x-ray machines then bam!. There were big queues at the check in but there was only around 15 people in front of us. 1 hr and 20 minutes later we finally received our boarding cards, we made our way through passport control and wandered into the new super long duty free shop noticing that its now run by a big company and that the prices have all been adjusted up accordingly!

Off to the departure lounge we encountered yet another relentless queue to pass through the next x-ray machine, once inside there was a distinct lack of seating for passengers most of whom had to sit on the very dusty floor.

Other things we encountered was the lack of fresh air or air conditioning, we were there at 2.30 am and it was sweltering, also the inside looks like a multi storey car park with exposed concrete everywhere but we would hope that these would be covered with something in the future.

As residents of Dalaman we welcome the new airport but hope things get better soon or we may well have just kept the cramped old one.

Thanks to Paul & Carol for this 1st hand account.

So, a few things to be aware of if you are departing from Dalaman over the next few weeks. Remember to take plenty of food and water with you to keep you going in the long queues. And, if you have kids, take plenty for them to do too or they'll be going mad with all that waiting around!