LIMERICK Chamber has called on the Department of Transport to compel the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) to partner with regional airports Department of Transport to help solve its capacity crisis and ensure that passenger delays are avoided.
Chamber chief executive Dee Ryan said that the problems at Dublin Airport can be relieved by transferring certain flights to Shannon, Cork, Knock and Kerry airports, all of which have significant spare capacity, particularly as the Covid recovery in airports outside the capital is happening at a much slower pace.
Ms Ryan also welcomed the latest round of funding for State owned airports through the Regional Airports Programme, a change that Limerick Chamber has been advocating since 2019.
However she said that the capacity issues at Dublin demonstrate yet again the need for an urgent overhaul of aviation policy and have reaffirmed concerns that Dublin Airport would leave others in its slipstream in the aviation Covid recovery.
“Aviation policy needs to have an all-Ireland approach as distinct from a Dublin Airport centric one,” she said.
“Dublin Airport’s problems are not good for passengers, for Dublin Airport or our tourism reputation. There is an obvious solution here and that is to make use of the spare capacity of airports in other regions. If Dublin Airport won’t do this, the Department of Transport should step in and compel it to open conversations with Shannon, Cork, Knock and Kerry airports with a view to using their spare capacity.
“Not one of those airports are near capacity at present. Prior to Covid they were not near capacity, and they are still significantly off their pre-pandemic passenger numbers. So, right now they can alleviate the pressure on Dublin Airport and its staff, provide an important boost to business at those airports and a more comfortable experience for the traveling public.”
Ms Ryan said that there needs to be a complete review of aviation policy.
“We are not suggesting a short-term fix here but a meaningful look at services coming into and out of Ireland and being more strategic as to what airports are used for what flights. It’s an all-Ireland solution that we need to create, as distinct from a single or Dublin Airport centric one, which we currently have.”
Ms Ryan said that diverting flights would, overall, be a better outcome for passengers.
“Diverting some services to Shannon, Cork, Knock and Kerry airports may inconvenience travellers originating in Dublin or with Dublin as their destination, but is not nearly as inconvenient as horrendously long queues and inadequate parking options currently being experienced in Dublin. A shuttle bus service could be provided to take crew and affected passengers down the motorway.
“The rest of the country have been inconvenienced by traveling to Dublin for decades for flights so it’s not inconceivable that the opposite would also happen. A Department of Transport official once remarked to me ‘there is a great motorway network to Dublin.’ The reality, however, is that it goes in both directions and can also be used to access airports in the regions,” Ms Ryan added.
