*Councillors in the Shannon MD. Photograph: Eamon Ward.
PLANS by Transport Minister, Darragh O’Brien (FF) to lift the passenger cap at Dublin Airport is “very bad news” and “very damaging” for Shannon Airport and Cork Airport, the Cathaoirleach of the Shannon Municipal District has said.
Minister O’Brien is to send a memo to Cabinet in the first week of October to commence the process in drafting legislation which would allow for the limit of 32 million passengers per annum at Dublin Airport to be lifted.
The Sunday Independent has reported that the passenger cap would be removed by the end of next year if the legislation proceeds. It will allow for 60m passengers a year at Dublin and the creation of tens of thousands of jobs by 2030. For every million additional passengers at the airport, 1,000 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect jobs will be created.
Planners imposed the cap of 32 million passengers annually in 2007 as a condition of allowing the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) to build a second terminal to address fears of traffic congestion.
Cathaoirleach of the Shannon Municipal District, Cllr John Crowe (FG) said the potential of lifting the passenger cap “would be very bad news for Shannon and Cork”. He said if passengers surpassed 60m at Dublin “I think we would be in serious trouble”. He said Oireachtas members in the Mid-West need to speak out against the proposal from the Transport Minister. “They are getting the lions share of passengers as it is, if this restriction is lifted it would be very damaging”.
Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of the Shannon MD, Cllr Rachel Hartigan (FF) suggested they write a letter opposing the lifting of the passenger cap. “Everyone hates travelling from Dublin anyway,” remarked Cllr James Ryan (SF).
Passengers will get frustrated in the capital, Cllr Michael Begley (IND) predicted. “Maybe the quicker they could to 60m the better because they will be cheesed off at travelling from Dublin”. “They can’t manage 32m so I don’t know how they will manage 52m,” stated Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG).
According to Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF), “aviation policy has to change, we’re only looking for five or six percent of the traffic coming into Dublin to come into the regions, we’re not looking for the world to be changed overnight. People living near Dublin Airport don’t want this to change, they are only doing this because fo the pressure of Ryanair”.
“There are talks of the DAA offering reduced landing fees to get airlines flying into Cork, we need Shannon recognised as an international airport and to be treated with the respect it deserves,” commented Cllr David Griffin (FF).
Director of Service, Alan Farrell said it was important to support bringing in a regional airport policy to grow Shannon Airport.
Cllr Crowe added, “We have to start the ball rolling, this is the area it will affect the whole region and this is the MD for the Shannon area”. He requested the Director to compose a letter on their behalf to be issued to the Department of Transport opposing any lifting of the passenger cap and for aviation policy to be changed to give a greater percentage to regional airports.
