Cork and Dublin Airports 'are running on empty'

DAA, which owns and operates Dublin and Cork Airports, will tell the committee that Dublin's passenger numbers will be as low as they were in 1995. File image of Cork Airport. 

Cork and Dublin Airports, "the engines of the Irish economy" are running on empty, an Oireachtas committee will hear today.

Representatives from across the aviation industry will outline to the Oireachtas Transport Committee, the dire effects that the Covid-19 pandemic has had.

DAA, which owns and operates Dublin and Cork Airports, will tell the committee that Dublin's passenger numbers will be as low as they were in 1995.

"Dublin and Cork airports have been engines of the Irish economy, but now they’re running on empty. In total our airports have already lost 20m passengers compared to 2019; Dublin Airport will have fewer than 9 million passengers this year - that means we’re back at 1995 levels. We’ve lost 25 years of growth.

"Our sector has been demonised since this pandemic began. Other key sectors have been allowed to re-open with the understanding and acceptance that there is an element of risk involved. The Irish aviation sector, however, is being held to a much higher and, quite frankly, unreasonable standard, with continued constraints being placed on opening up international travel.

"Because of this, Ireland’s connectivity to the world is faltering."

The company will tell the committee that its losses have hit €150 million this year but will say that it has the capability to do 15,000 pre-departure tests in Dublin Airport, but needs government assistance.

"Government needs to approve a rapid turnaround, low cost, scalable testing solution for use in Irish airports so that we can move quickly."

DAA will present a pre-testing plan to the committee which would see passengers tested at a DAA facility 24-48 hours pre-departure.

Ryanair, meanwhile has made a submission to the committee which says that the Government is not prepared for an improved aviation sector and risks losing jobs in Cork and Shannon.

A submission from the budget airline says that should there be an upswing in the industry, Ireland will not be able to capitalise. The submission adds that Ryanair's European competitors have been bailed out to the tune of billions, something which Ireland's private airlines have not been.

"Ireland currently has no policy or strategy to support aviation in emerging from this C-19 pandemic. As a nation we are currently unprepared for reaping any upswing in demand in a post successful vaccine scenario."

Government policy seems to assume that airline seat capacity will bounce back to pre-C-19 levels – it won’t.

The airline says that Ireland must adopt the EU traffic light system and the recommendations of the Aviation Recovery Task Force, which could see around €900 million pumped into the sector.

"These supports to retain and attract airline capacity. We estimate in the region of €300 million per annum for intra-European traffic representing real value in supporting the 140,000 jobs in aviation and the 325,000 jobs in Tourism, and would structurally prepare Ireland to reap the benefits of any recovery in a post vaccine scenario."

The committee will also hear from Mary Considine, CEO of the Shannon Group, who will say that "Government action is urgently required to adopt the proposed pan-European traffic light system and a European-wide testing protocol".