Summer of discontent looms as airport hits capacity

PASSENGERS using Dublin Airport could face regular delays this summer because of a lack of stands for aircraft.

An independent consultant’s report has warned that growing aircraft movement at the airport, over the next 12 months, is expected to result in “unacceptable levels of delay and congestion”, especially at peak periods.

“Runway and stand constraints mean that the airport will not be able to cater for additional peak services until the proposed parallel runway has been completed and additional stands provided,” states the report, commissioned by the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR).

A second main runway is not expected to open before 2012.

“Peak capacity at Dublin airport may be approaching its original design limit,” the report concludes.

It predicts that the shortage of stands for aircraft will become a serious problem from the end of this year, while delays on runways can be expected from as early as this summer.

Despite regular complaints about congestion in the main passenger terminal at Dublin Airport, the report concluded that it appears to have sufficient capacity to cater for passenger growth until the scheduled opening of a second terminal in 2009 at a cost of €609m.

However, it still warns that passengers can expect congestion at security and immigration control, this summer, unless the situation is carefully managed by the Dublin Airport Authority.

It also found that the check-in hall — where 140 desks are in use at busy periods — is operating close to capacity.

However, the planned opening of a new check-in area in the arrival hall should allow for the airport to provide an acceptable level of services until the opening of Terminal 2, according to the report.

It found that passengers spend an average of almost 17 minutes queuing to check-in for flights with another seven minutes required to pass through security controls.

Travellers disembarking from flights at Dublin Airport face delays of ten minutes to get through immigration at peak periods, although it is forecast that the waiting period could increase to 20 minutes this year.

The report’s findings are likely to add weight to recent proposals by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny for the construction of a second airport in Dublin.

In order to counter possible flight delays, it has recommended that the CAR should switch Dublin Airport to a “coordinated airport” status by as early as this summer.

The CAR already changed the designation of the airport in a similar fashion last year, which would implement a compulsory system for allocating landing and take-off slots.

However, the decision was subsequently overturned by the High Court who ruled that the CAR had exceeded its powers in changing the airport’s designation.

Airlines will not be allowed to operates flights to and from Dublin without the approval of an independent coordinator under the proposed change of status.

At present, airlines agree flight schedules in and out of the airport by voluntary agreement overseen by a British company, ACL, which acts a facilitator.

In summer 2005, airlines rejected almost 7,500 flight adjustments proposed by ACL — a figure which represented almost 7% of all aircraft movements.

Ryanair accounted for 51% of all such refusals.