Numerous international airlines have started to reduce their operations at Dublin Airport, due to the 32 million annual passenger cap – and the uncertainty over its future – the airport’s operator, Daa has confirmed.
Daa has called for faster planning processes and more joined-up infrastructure thinking in a bid to provide clarity for future operations at Dublin Airport.
It has also warned that the 32 million passenger cap will be exceeded this year.
Latest monthly figures show that 3.46 million passengers passed through Dublin Airport’s two terminals in August, making it the airport’s busiest month in its entire 84-year history.
A total of 3.8 million people used Dublin and Cork airports, combined last month; and Cork is now the country’s fastest growing airport.
Kenny Jacobs, Daa chief executive, said: “Both Cork and Dublin airports had very strong summers and I’m happy with how the entire daa business is performing. We are in very good shape on core airport operations and commercial activities, and our financials are strong. Passenger satisfaction scores at our airports have never been better, we have brought in many new improvements for passengers (drop & go parking, new restaurants, click & collect shopping, faster wifi, additional seating) and more than 94% of passengers are getting through security in 20 minutes or less.
“I am delighted that Cork Airport is now the fastest growing airport in Ireland. We want that to continue and see an opportunity to grow Cork by 40% in the next six to eight years. At Dublin Airport, like every month so far this year, a new monthly record was set in August with more than 100,000 passengers flying most days, and more than 120,000 plus on a number of days. If we had these passenger numbers every day, then Dublin would already be a 40-million-passenger airport. This summer shows that we can successfully handle that amount of passengers operationally, and I want to thank all of our teams at the airports for their hard work, as well as our airline customers.”
Regarding the passenger cap at Dublin, Mr Jacobs said: “Overall, I’m optimistic about the future except for one thing: the fact that growth at Dublin Airport is now being stalled by an outdated passenger cap, a very lengthy planning process and a lack of joined-up thinking on critical infrastructure in Ireland.
“This leaves Dublin Airport caught between a rock and a hard place. We want to grow so we can continue to connect Ireland with the world and support FDI, tourism and jobs. But while we wait for planning to be granted, we are doing everything we can to comply with existing planning conditions. While our actions to dampen airline demand have reduced passenger numbers by approximately 650,000, we do not control the slot process. We now forecast that passenger numbers will exceed 32 million and will be closer to 33 million in 2024.
“It is in no one’s interests to curtail tourism and investment at a time when so much public and private money is being spent to do the complete opposite. We are a small, open, island economy on the edge of Europe that has always punched above our weight but we need more joined-up thinking in the development of critical infrastructure. It’s time to all come together to realise an ambitious vision of Ireland that sets us up for the future. This includes support for growth at Dublin Airport, so we can keep delivering for Ireland, and growth at Ireland’s great regional airports at Cork, Shannon, Knock, Kerry and Donegal.”
Daa has already applied to Fingal County Council (FCC) to increase the current terminals passenger cap of 32 million passengers a year to 40 million as part of a broader Infrastructure Application (IA). The IA seeks permission for a range of significant sustainable investments to facilitate the projected growth of passengers through Dublin Airport.
Over €400m will be invested directly into sustainability and carbon reduction measures as part of Daa’s IA and Capital Investment Programme. Daa is currently responding to FCC’s comprehensive request for further information on a range of topics and will submit its response before November 15.
Daa is also preparing to lodge an Operational Application (OA) which seeks to increase the passenger cap only, without the additional sustainable infrastructure developments detailed in the IA, if this could hasten the lifting of the cap.
