Calls for second terminal in airport plan

THE new board of the Dublin Airport Authority has been asked by Transport Minister Séamus Brennan to consider incorporating a second independent terminal at the airport into its business plan.

Mr Brennan said a Government decision to proceed with a new terminal was “some months off,” but he expected the board to give the proposal its backing.

He said the new terminal was vital to deal with the congestion at the existing site and to deal with the forecast expansion of the airport with millions of new passengers expected to pass through Dublin every year.

Passenger numbers at Dublin will rise to €20 million a year by 2010. He said the airport was one of the busiest in Europe and will benefit from the continued economic boom.

“The Government has taken the view that more capacity is necessary and I have asked the new authority to give urgent consideration to fit the new terminal into their masterplan,” said Mr Brennan

The Aer Rianta board, led by veteran chairman Noel Hanlon, had been opposed to the independent terminal and was in the process of building a new pier at the existing terminal. This was scrapped at the cost of €7 million.

Yesterday some of the board members of the Dublin Airport Authority met for the time with Mr Brennan. The directors, led by the chief executive of Jefferson Smurfit, Gary McGann, will formally take over management of the airport next month.

“The authorities are legally in place and they will be responsible for managing the airports once they take office at the end of the month. There won’t be any hiatus in terms of day-to-day intensive management,” said Mr Brennan.

Under the State Airports Bill, the board will have to develop business plans to ensure the three airports have a viable and profitable future. The plans will be submitted to Mr Brennan and the incoming finance minister next April before a full decision to break up the company is agreed.

Mr Brennan said the Dublin Airport Authority will have to manage the rapid expansion of the airport. He expected the chronic congestion to improve and wanted the management team to attract new airlines to Ireland.

The board meeting was attended by the independent directors, which include Mary Davis, Bill Cullen, Colm Barrington, Anthony Spollen, Mike Hodgkinson, Marie O’Connor and Desmond Cummins. However, the four worker directors, nominated by Aer Rianta employees, were not present.

Although several names have been mentioned, Mr Brennan has yet to appoint these individuals, but stressed the meeting was not a snub to unions.