Dear Sir,
Ryanair’s Chief Executive, Michael O’Leary, has openly contested the restrictions set on the volume of travellers at Dublin Airport, suggesting they ought to be abolished (See “Ryanair chief labels Dublin Airport’s passenger limit ‘absurd'”, News, September 13th).
The 2007 permission for a second terminal to be built at Dublin Airport was provided by the Fingal County Council under the stipulation of a 32 million annual passenger cap. This limit was imposed to alleviate traffic overcrowding and to control noise pollution in the vicinity of the airport.
The national conversation around this nuanced issue invites questions about broader regional policy, which plays a critical role in managing our national economy. Capital cities around the globe often face rapid growth leading to overpopulation and surge in infrastructure demands. This rapid expansion often occurs simultaneously with surplus infrastructure in other regional hubs. This imbalance, therefore, incurs national economic costs that affects everyone. This is where regional policy could make impactful changes.
A possible resolution to this deadlock could be augmenting services provided by alternate airports such as Cork, Shannon and Ireland West. These airports aren’t at full capacity, have robust road connectivity to Dublin, and could facilitate enhanced usage. It would, however, be pivotal to operate regular shuttle bus services from these airports to Dublin city, perhaps at frequencies of every hour or even half-hour.
It’s important to note that a substantial segment of passengers travelling via Dublin are west and south-bound. They mainly use Dublin Airport because of its superior services. Re-routing these travellers through the alternate airports could provide additional benefits. This change, however, cannot be initiated by the airport authorities or the airlines alone. It would necessitate coordinated planning and action on part of the government.
Yours Sincerely,
BRIAN CALLANAN,
Ennis Road,
Limerick.