Ryanair vows to continue fight against second terminal

RYANAIR has vowed to continue its legal challenge to oppose the building of a controversial second terminal at Dublin Airport if it is granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanála.

It comes after the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) warned the Government the planned opening of the terminal in late 2009 could be seriously delayed if Ryanair mounts a successful High Court action against its construction.

Last October, Fingal County Council granted the DAA planning permission for the €609m terminal subject to 43 conditions.

The DAA maintains the second terminal is essential to reduce overcrowding in the existing departures and arrivals building and cater for projected increases in passenger traffic to 30 million over the next decade.

Airport management recently met with senior officials at the Department of Transport to highlight the potential implications of Ryanair’s campaign against the new terminal.

Ryanair chief executive, Michael O’Leary has consistently claimed the proposed facility is too expensive and in the wrong location within the airport.

The airline yesterday claimed the terminal would cost ten times more than similar-sized facilities at other airports in Europe and result in a doubling of passengers charges at Dublin Airport.

Ryanair warned such fees could increase from the current rate of €5.50 per passenger to around €11.

Mr O’Leary has argued the development of a second terminal by anyone except the DAA would provide much needed competition that would push down passenger charges at Dublin Airport.

“It is vital that the mess which the DAA have created at Cork Airport is not repeated at Dublin. In Cork, the DAA wasted €200m building a new terminal for just three million passengers,” said Mr O’Leary yesterday.

Repeating Ryanair’s offer to fund the building of the new terminal, the outspoken airline boss said it was evidence of how the DAA monopoly “cannot be trusted to build cost efficient terminal facilities.”

He also accused the Commission for Aviation Regulation as being “a poodle” for its willingness “to roll over every time the DAA wants to put up charges.”

An Bord Pleanála will hold a public hearing on the project next month.