Dublin Airport’s aeronautical charges will remain the lowest of any capital city airport in Europe, its operator has said, despite a decision by the UK’s competition regulator to force Heathrow to lower its charges by 19% in 2024.
The London airport had sought to increase its charges to airlines to more than €47 (£40) versus the average per passenger charge which daa charges its airline customers at Dublin Airport of €7.80. Heathrow charges will stay at €37 (£31.57) this year and decrease to €30 (£25.43) in 2024 and stay at that price level until the end of 2026.
Kenny Jacobs, daa chief executive, said: “Dublin Airport already has the lowest charges of any capital city airport in Europe and we aim to stay an Aldi or Lidl when it comes to airport charges. The prices currently charged by Heathrow and the price increase they sought, shows how the other half lives.”
Mr Jacobs added: “Despite the inflationary pressures and cost increases that we are all experiencing, Dublin Airport’s charges remain ultra-low. Even if we were to secure the modest increase we have sought to be resilient and allow us grow to meet demand for international travel as Ireland’s population grows, we will remain ultra-low cost. And no other capital city airport in Europe, even Heathrow, will beat us on price or service, as we invest in facilities to allow us to provide the standards of facilities our customers expect and demand.”
Last week, an independent report found that Dublin Airport contributes a total of €9.6bn in gross value added (GVA) to the Irish economy and supports or facilitates 116,100 jobs in the Republic of Ireland.
The study, independently produced by international economic consultants InterVistas, found that Dublin Airport is a key conduit to the equivalent of 2.3% of the national economy.
As an airport operator, daa levies airport charges on its airline customers to finance the regulated airport activities to provide passengers with a safe, high-quality and resilient service. daa’s price cap is set for a period of four years after consultation with the airlines and under the supervision of the independent economic regulator IAA (formerly CAR). Tariffs are set annually.
