Dublin Airport dominance makes joke out of balanced regional development – Mayo senator

DUBLIN Airport's dominance is making a joke out of government policy on balanced regional development and preventing Ireland West Airport, Shannon and Cork from growing their passenger numbers and routes.

Speaking on the matter, Mayo Fianna Fáil Senator Lisa Chambers said: "I listened to Kenny Jacobs, CEO of Dublin Airport Authority, on RTÉ's Morning Ireland recently and was shocked at some of what he said. He displayed a complete lack of awareness of what is effectively a DAA monopoly of the Irish aviation landscape, the impact that is having on other regional airports, and was oblivious to the capacity availability at IWAK and Shannon.

“I was utterly dismayed to hear Mr. Jacobs say he has turned away airlines, up to 650,000 passengers this year, due the passenger cap numbers at Dublin Airport, and I would ask that he explains what measures he took to encourage those Knock, Shannon or Cork’s way. Did he contact the CEOs of those airports, try to set up meetings?

“He talks of his concern about the impact of this on Irish industry and tourism but there would be no impact whatsoever if the passengers were secured for the regional airports.

“Better again, the impact of an additional 650,000 passengers would be huge for Ireland West Airport, Shannon and Cork and their regions, far more impactful for them than they could ever be on Dublin. 650,000 passengers would be lost on Dublin, but potentially transformational for the regions.”

She continued: “I was also surprised to hear that the DAA had removed incentives to attract airlines, what incentives? Such is the disproportionate dominance of Dublin on aviation here, it’s time, actually, that all route incentives would be ring-fenced for the regional airports. This is something the Minister for Transport should be picking up on if he is serious about balanced regional development.

“Dublin Airport typically wins 95% of airport passenger growth into Ireland so if you get one million new passengers in Ireland in a year, 950,000 goes to Dublin and the other 50,000 is fought out between IWAK, Shannon and Cork. That growth in Dublin is making the airport chaotic, fuelling congestion in Dublin while the capacity in the other airports stands at millions of passengers.”

Mr. Jacobs, she said, commented that Dublin is the gateway to Ireland; it is for the east but not for the west.

“We have tour operators based in Dublin offering tourists day trips to the Cliffs of Moher and other attractions along the west coast. Wouldn't it make more sense for tourists to fly into IWAK or Shannon if the west of Ireland is their chosen destination?

“Aviation is causing enough of environmental challenges without people having to drive across the country. I think it is time the Minister for Transport carried out a survey to see where passengers are travelling to, and if they are going anywhere 100km beyond Dublin then surely there is an argument for more routes to our regional airports and government support to deliver this,” she said.

Senator Chambers said the DAA predicts that next year's slot decisions are taking one million passengers out of Dublin and that an action plan must be put in place immediately to divert these to the regional airports.

“Mr Jacobs said this in the context of it being a loss to Ireland, but I see it as a huge opportunity for Ireland, for the regions.

“What we need is to get a coordinated plan in place immediately, managed by the Department of Transport, transferring all incentives to Knock, Shannon and, indeed, Cork, to draw as many of these passengers to the regions as possible. If there are potential job losses in aviation at Dublin Airport, as Mr. Jacobs says, then this presents an opportunity to create aviation jobs in the regions.

“The DAA should be showing some leadership from a national perspective and not just be concerned about Dublin Airport’s results. The Minister for Transport shouldn't allow Dublin Airport to do whatever it likes to the detriment of regional airports.”

Senator Chambers added: “One thing I did agree with Mr. Jacobs on is that we do need faster planning and more joined up thinking around infrastructure but let's use what we have first rather that spend unnecessarily on new infrastructure. Huge capacity exists in the regional airports so let’s use that rather than waste more money on Dublin, not least when the potential is so huge from this to drive economic development in the regions and finally deliver balanced regional development.”