Work starts on T2 at Dublin Airport

Construction started this morning on Terminal Two, the new €395m new passenger terminal at Dublin Airport.

T2, which will open in April 2010, can handle up to 15 million passengers per year.

"This is an historic day for Dublin Airport," said Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) Chief Executive Declan Collier.

"Starting construction is a key milestone on the road to delivering T2 on time and on budget."

The total value of the T2 project, which also includes a new boarding gate area Pier E, a new energy centre, and a major upgrade of the airport's campus road network is €609m.

Construction work on the new terminal will be completed in late 2009 and T2 will open to the public in April 2010, following a rigorous testing and commissioning phase.

T2 is being built close to the roundabout on the existing approach road to Terminal One and as part of the project, the internal roads at Dublin Airport will be reconfigured to create separate dedicated approach routes for T1 and T2.

Locations for a future metro station and a ground transportation centre are also provided for in the overall Transforming Dublin Airport plan.