Landing facility approved for airport

A new landing facility at Dublin airport was today given the green light by planning authorities.

The two-storey “pier” would help alleviate congestion at the airport, where passenger traffic has been growing by an average one million customers a year for the past eight years.

It will consist of a building with 12 new walk-on aircraft stands and an access corridor to the main terminal building.

A spokesman said airlines such as Aer Lingus and Ryanair would benefit from the facility, which would allow planes to conduct a much quicker turnaround.

Permission was granted to Aer Rianta by Irish planning board An Bord Pleanala, which turned down an objection from Ryanair.

Although Aer Rianta welcomed the news, no formal decision has yet been made by its board to go ahead with the €70m scheme.

However, an Aer Rianta spokesman said he hoped the pier – which he described as a “major step forward” – would be built by the end of next year.

“We need this capacity and we are hopeful that we can progress with it as quickly as possible,” he said.

He said that although a second terminal would probably be required at the airport in the future Pier D was still a necessity.

“It is badly needed,” he added. “Dublin airport has the capacity for about 19 to 20 million (passengers per year) at the moment.

“Last year we were over 15 million and we are growing at the moment at an average of one million per year.

“So there is urgent capacity required.”