Ryanair opposes stake for SIPTU in new terminal

RYANAIR chief executive Michael O’Leary has warned the Government that the airline will not expand services from Dublin if SIPTU is given a stake in a proposed new terminal at the airport.

With a decision on whether to build a second terminal at the airport due soon, Mr O’Leary said yesterday Ryanair would not use the facility if SIPTU was part-owner.

SIPTU wants any new terminal to be under the ownership of the Dublin Airport Authority, but would also back a proposal by businessmen Des and Ulick McEvaddy to build a second terminal at the airport if they were given a stake.

Mr O’Leary said the terminal should not be under the control of the DAA and that the Government has received 13 expressions of interest from private groups to build the terminal. Ryanair, which made one of the submissions, says it will not become involved in the building and operation of the airport as a concession to unions.

But it said that if the second terminal is not independently-owned any route expansion out of Dublin would be limited to a few flights. It promised to base an additional 20 planes at Dublin if there was an independent terminal, which he said would deliver an extra five million passengers a year and could create 5,000 jobs.

Mr O’Leary also launched another broadside against Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, saying he had “dithered” and “fudged” for three years on the second terminal.

A Department of Transport spokesman said: “There are a number of aviation matters being worked on by the department.”