New Dublin Airport terminal a prize worth pursuing

IF, as expected, the Government approves the establishment of a new, independently operated terminal at Dublin Airport, the project would create a great number of enviable jobs and generate significant revenues for the exchequer.

The project has been under consideration for some years now, but the possibility of investment support from Middle Eastern aviation and pension interests moves it a step closer towards realisation.

If, as it is believed, this project is approved despite perceived but unconfirmed objections from the Dublin Airport Authority, it would mark another break from the powerful agencies that once had such influence on Irish commercial life.

If, as it is hoped, the new terminal might in time offer an alternative hub to Heathrow, Irish aviation services would assume a new importance on the world stage.

Developments of this scale invariably provoke anxiety in the communities that might be affected, and planning decisions are often delayed.

This one is unlikely to be any different but, at this remove, it seems a prize worth pursuing.