DAA causing 'confusion and irritation' as residents call for details of buyout scheme
Adrienne McDonnell: "None of us want to be bought out"
THE Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) informed 20 people in the St Margaret's area of Co Dublin it would buy their properties near the site of a planned second runway just weeks before it was announced the project was to be delayed by economic cutbacks.
The households were informed by post before Christmas that they were being accepted into a voluntary buyout scheme for which they had previously failed to qualify. It brought to 39 the total number of homes that could be bought by the DAA but, with recent revelations that the runway will be postponed, residents now say they do not now know what will happen.
Airport authorities, who say the project will be delayed for up to six years, say the offer to buy the properties remains on the table.
"You have no idea the amount of confusion and irritation the DAA has caused us," said local resident Sheelagh Morris. "We don't know where we stand, we don't know any details about the buyout."
The DAA refused to reveal any details of the scheme which covers properties in the immediate area of the site proposed for the second runway.
Engineers calculated the amount of noise that would affect local homes from increased air traffic. The properties either fell into a decibel category that warranted inclusion in the buyout programme or that warranted insulation of their homes.
But anger mounted locally when some houses qualified for the purchase scheme and close-by neighbours did not. "There was one house right beside another that wasn't taken into the scheme just because of the way the [reading] line went. It was absolutely ridiculous," said Morris.
A spokeswoman for the DAA admitted the division of the community in this way was a problem. On the back of this, the authority extended the programme to cover all the homes at Kilreesk Lane.
"Some of the residents were understandably angry because the contours divided the neighbours," she said. "The question was asked, 'How can they have that level of noise and not me?'
"It is a highly emotive and sensitive issue and we really do recognise that. You are talking about people's houses and homes here and it's very sensitive. We do appreciate that there are concerns there."
But despite efforts to appease the ongoing tensions, residents remain adamant they are receiving secondhand information and are being kept firmly in the dark.
"The letter that we got [regarding a buyout] still says that this is not a binding agreement. It means diddly squat; they have covered themselves," said Adrienne McDonnell, spokeswoman for the Concerned Residents' Association. "None of us want to be bought out. It's not like this is a housing estate; they are mostly half-acre sites, they are all big houses and a lot of people have family history here."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label dublin airport planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dublin airport planning. Show all posts
Sunday, 11 January 2009
Thursday, 23 October 2008
Airport plans granted
FINGAL COUNTY Council has granted permission for two developments at Dublin Airport. One is a ground and first floor extension to the south-west end of the Pier D link building incorporating a new lift and escalator and a new circulation route on to the ground floor giving access from the new lift into the Garda Immigration Hall.
The Dublin Airport Authority has also got permission for a development at the Garda National Immigration building to include a single storey flat roof extension on the ground floor of the link building comprising of an additional queuing area to the immigration hall.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The Dublin Airport Authority has also got permission for a development at the Garda National Immigration building to include a single storey flat roof extension on the ground floor of the link building comprising of an additional queuing area to the immigration hall.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Airport plans granted
FINGAL COUNTY Council has granted permission for two developments at Dublin Airport. One is a ground and first floor extension to the south-west end of the Pier D link building incorporating a new lift and escalator and a new circulation route on to the ground floor giving access from the new lift into the Garda Immigration Hall.
The Dublin Airport Authority has also got permission for a development at the Garda National Immigration building to include a single storey flat roof extension on the ground floor of the link building comprising of an additional queuing area to the immigration hall.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The Dublin Airport Authority has also got permission for a development at the Garda National Immigration building to include a single storey flat roof extension on the ground floor of the link building comprising of an additional queuing area to the immigration hall.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 29 September 2008
Airport to reapply for permission for runway after appeal rejection
Dublin Airport is to reapply for planning permission for a second runway after An Bord Pleanála rejected its appeal against operating restrictions.
The airport had sought to fast-track its appeal on the basis that the runway constituted strategic infrastructure, but the planning board did not agree and said the planning application should go back to Fingal County Council. The local council had imposed restrictions on the operation of the second runway between 6am and 7am, and 11pm and midnight.
Vincent Wall, director of communications at Dublin Airport Authority, told travel industry professionals at a TravelMedia lunch last week that the airport’s busiest time was between 6amand 7am. He said Aer Lingus and Ryanair, which were responsible for three-quarters of the traffic at the airport, needed to maximise the use of their fleets, as European airports were an hour ahead.
‘‘You have to build a motorway system for the rush hour, not for the middle of the afternoon,” Wall said.
Wall said the airport was now the 14th-busiest in the world and would handle about 24million passengers this year, compared with 11.8 million in 1998. Last month, 2.3 million passengers passed through the airport, which handled up to 93,000 passengers on its busiest days.
Overall, passenger traffic to the end of August was up 4 per cent, with transatlantic traffic up 25 per cent - largely due to the EU’s new Open Skies policy. ‘‘In 2003, no Poles flew direct from Poland to Dublin,” said Wall. ‘‘This year, one million have come.”
Wall also said that new security channels would be introduced for business travellers when Terminal Two opened in spring 2010. Construction of the new terminal began on October 1 last year, and is proceeding on schedule.
The number of security channels in the airport is likely to rise from 18 to 25 with the opening of the new terminal. There will also be dedicated security channels for families, with play areas for children in the new terminal lounge.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
The airport had sought to fast-track its appeal on the basis that the runway constituted strategic infrastructure, but the planning board did not agree and said the planning application should go back to Fingal County Council. The local council had imposed restrictions on the operation of the second runway between 6am and 7am, and 11pm and midnight.
Vincent Wall, director of communications at Dublin Airport Authority, told travel industry professionals at a TravelMedia lunch last week that the airport’s busiest time was between 6amand 7am. He said Aer Lingus and Ryanair, which were responsible for three-quarters of the traffic at the airport, needed to maximise the use of their fleets, as European airports were an hour ahead.
‘‘You have to build a motorway system for the rush hour, not for the middle of the afternoon,” Wall said.
Wall said the airport was now the 14th-busiest in the world and would handle about 24million passengers this year, compared with 11.8 million in 1998. Last month, 2.3 million passengers passed through the airport, which handled up to 93,000 passengers on its busiest days.
Overall, passenger traffic to the end of August was up 4 per cent, with transatlantic traffic up 25 per cent - largely due to the EU’s new Open Skies policy. ‘‘In 2003, no Poles flew direct from Poland to Dublin,” said Wall. ‘‘This year, one million have come.”
Wall also said that new security channels would be introduced for business travellers when Terminal Two opened in spring 2010. Construction of the new terminal began on October 1 last year, and is proceeding on schedule.
The number of security channels in the airport is likely to rise from 18 to 25 with the opening of the new terminal. There will also be dedicated security channels for families, with play areas for children in the new terminal lounge.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
Airport oral hearing expenditure questioned
DUBLIN Airport will undergo further construction next month when work on the multi million euro extension of the main terminal gets underway.
An Bord Pleanála gave the green light to the plans last week.
It is believed that the works, which will see the terminal increase in size by about 7,500 sq mt, will cost in the region of e55 million.
A spokesperson for the St Margaret’s Concerned Residents’ Group, said they would be “closely following” what the upcoming works entail.
“We are concerned with the number of plans for the airport that have been approved,” spokesperson Sheelagh Morrice told Northside People.
“We find it hard to keep track of the number of planning applications in relation to the airport.
“We feel like the applications are being lodged in a very piecemeal fashion. It seems like there needs to be more strategic planning.”
It is expected that the project will be completed by the summer of 2009. However, it is likely that some of the extra facilities will be in operation by early next year.
The DAA also recently celebrated a High Court ruling in which Ryanair has been prevented from challenging further development at the airport.
According to the DAA, the development will now continue full steam ahead.
“The decision by the High Court is a very positive one for development for all the airport’s customers and stakeholders,” it was stated.
“The court’s decision to bind Ryanair to its agreement of 2005, not to oppose the further development of Dublin Airport, removes the threat of any further unnecessary delay or obstruction to the delivery of the airport’s new passenger terminal, T2.”
However, Ryanair has vowed not to use the new terminal for any of its services.
“Ryanair has already confirmed that its passengers will never use this gold plated T2 and we will continue to challenge attempts to raise passenger charges to pay for this Taj Mahal,” the company stated.
Construction of the new terminal got underway last October.
The development is expected to be open for passenger traffic in April 2010.
When complete, T2 will be a 75,000 sq mt building with a passenger capacity of 15 million per annum. It will cost e395 million.
The overall cost of the terminal, the new boarding gate facility and support infrastructure is e610 million.
Northside People
www.buckplanning.ie
An Bord Pleanála gave the green light to the plans last week.
It is believed that the works, which will see the terminal increase in size by about 7,500 sq mt, will cost in the region of e55 million.
A spokesperson for the St Margaret’s Concerned Residents’ Group, said they would be “closely following” what the upcoming works entail.
“We are concerned with the number of plans for the airport that have been approved,” spokesperson Sheelagh Morrice told Northside People.
“We find it hard to keep track of the number of planning applications in relation to the airport.
“We feel like the applications are being lodged in a very piecemeal fashion. It seems like there needs to be more strategic planning.”
It is expected that the project will be completed by the summer of 2009. However, it is likely that some of the extra facilities will be in operation by early next year.
The DAA also recently celebrated a High Court ruling in which Ryanair has been prevented from challenging further development at the airport.
According to the DAA, the development will now continue full steam ahead.
“The decision by the High Court is a very positive one for development for all the airport’s customers and stakeholders,” it was stated.
“The court’s decision to bind Ryanair to its agreement of 2005, not to oppose the further development of Dublin Airport, removes the threat of any further unnecessary delay or obstruction to the delivery of the airport’s new passenger terminal, T2.”
However, Ryanair has vowed not to use the new terminal for any of its services.
“Ryanair has already confirmed that its passengers will never use this gold plated T2 and we will continue to challenge attempts to raise passenger charges to pay for this Taj Mahal,” the company stated.
Construction of the new terminal got underway last October.
The development is expected to be open for passenger traffic in April 2010.
When complete, T2 will be a 75,000 sq mt building with a passenger capacity of 15 million per annum. It will cost e395 million.
The overall cost of the terminal, the new boarding gate facility and support infrastructure is e610 million.
Northside People
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 30 March 2008
Dublin Airport to expand once again as short haul flights take off. . .
The Dublin Airport Authority is planning a /25m extension to its Pier D facility to help meet the huge demand for quick turnaround short-haul flights from Ryanair and Aer Lingus. The new two-storey extension will increase the size of the existing Pier D facility by about 30% adding seven new boarding gates serving eight aircraft parking stands. Subject to planning permission being granted, construction of the 4,500 square metre extension should begin in December and the facility will be completed by January 2010.
Pier D itself opened on budget on 28 October 2007. The facility cost /120m including the cost of the new elevated Skybridge (pictured) that links the pier to the existing passenger terminal.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Pier D itself opened on budget on 28 October 2007. The facility cost /120m including the cost of the new elevated Skybridge (pictured) that links the pier to the existing passenger terminal.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
Dublin Airport terminal’s €55m expansion gets go-ahead
DUBLIN AIRPORT is to get busier after An Bord Pleanála granted permission for the main passenger terminal to be expanded.
The €55 million, two-storey 7,500sq m extension, which was opposed by Ryanair, will provide additional arrivals and departures facilities, extra check-in desks and new bars, restaurants and shops.
All the facilities will be raised on concrete columns so that ground handlers will be able to continue operating beneath the building without loss of working space. Construction work is to begin next month, with the first new facilities due to be open to passengers early next year and the full extension scheduled to be completed by summer 2009.
Between the extension and the new second terminal that is under construction, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) said it was planning to be able to cater for a growth in passenger numbers up to 35 million annually.
More than 21 million passengers used the airport last year and there are complaints of overcrowding and delays at peak times.
DAA chief executive Declan Collier said: “This extension will radically improve the travel experience for the bulk of our short-haul passengers.”
Among the conditions imposed by An Bord Pleanála is that no more than 32 million passengers pass through the new facilities when completed and that the DAA make a financial contribution to the cost of the Metro underground rail scheme planned to connect the airport with Dublin city centre.
The amount of the contribution has been left with the DAA and Railway Procurement Agency to agree between themselves but in the event they fail to reach a figure, An Bord Pleanála will determine the sum.
The DAA said the extension will be funded from the renting of the additional retail units and will not require increased to airport charges, which are invariably passed on to passengers.
The extension received planning permission from Fingal County Council last April but was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by residents from the Portmarnock Community Association, environmentalist Angela Lawton and Ryanair.
Ryanair said that the extension consisted largely of retail outlets and would not provide sufficient extra check-in and handling facilities to alleviate the pressure on the existing terminal.
This is the second blow to Ryanair’s attempts to influence developments at Dublin Airport in recent days. It also failed to halt the construction of Terminal 2 after the High Court last Friday ruled in favour of the DAA’s claim that the airline’s challenge was unlawful. Building work on the €400m terminal is scheduled to be finished in 2010.
Fine Gael’s transport spokesman Fergus O’Dowd said it was time to start planning for further expansion.
“Passenger numbers at Dublin Airport consistently outstrip predicted demand and this extra space is vital to alleviate overcrowding. However, by the time Terminal 2 is open for business it will fill predicted capacity, so there is a need to start work on the necessary processes for Terminal 3,” he said.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The €55 million, two-storey 7,500sq m extension, which was opposed by Ryanair, will provide additional arrivals and departures facilities, extra check-in desks and new bars, restaurants and shops.
All the facilities will be raised on concrete columns so that ground handlers will be able to continue operating beneath the building without loss of working space. Construction work is to begin next month, with the first new facilities due to be open to passengers early next year and the full extension scheduled to be completed by summer 2009.
Between the extension and the new second terminal that is under construction, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) said it was planning to be able to cater for a growth in passenger numbers up to 35 million annually.
More than 21 million passengers used the airport last year and there are complaints of overcrowding and delays at peak times.
DAA chief executive Declan Collier said: “This extension will radically improve the travel experience for the bulk of our short-haul passengers.”
Among the conditions imposed by An Bord Pleanála is that no more than 32 million passengers pass through the new facilities when completed and that the DAA make a financial contribution to the cost of the Metro underground rail scheme planned to connect the airport with Dublin city centre.
The amount of the contribution has been left with the DAA and Railway Procurement Agency to agree between themselves but in the event they fail to reach a figure, An Bord Pleanála will determine the sum.
The DAA said the extension will be funded from the renting of the additional retail units and will not require increased to airport charges, which are invariably passed on to passengers.
The extension received planning permission from Fingal County Council last April but was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by residents from the Portmarnock Community Association, environmentalist Angela Lawton and Ryanair.
Ryanair said that the extension consisted largely of retail outlets and would not provide sufficient extra check-in and handling facilities to alleviate the pressure on the existing terminal.
This is the second blow to Ryanair’s attempts to influence developments at Dublin Airport in recent days. It also failed to halt the construction of Terminal 2 after the High Court last Friday ruled in favour of the DAA’s claim that the airline’s challenge was unlawful. Building work on the €400m terminal is scheduled to be finished in 2010.
Fine Gael’s transport spokesman Fergus O’Dowd said it was time to start planning for further expansion.
“Passenger numbers at Dublin Airport consistently outstrip predicted demand and this extra space is vital to alleviate overcrowding. However, by the time Terminal 2 is open for business it will fill predicted capacity, so there is a need to start work on the necessary processes for Terminal 3,” he said.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Terminal extension is cleared for take-off
FED-UP passengers stuck in long slow-moving queues at Dublin Airport are promised more check-in desks after a major expansion of the existing outdated terminal was cleared for take-off.
An Bord Pleanala yesterday gave the green light for a 7,500sq m extension to the terminal in the face of objections from Ryanair and a local resident's association.
The plan involves a 20pc increase in the number of check-in desks in a bid to tackle the growing bottleneck in the departures lounge.
The planning authority also put a limit of 32 million passengers a year using the expanded Terminal 1 and the approved second terminal.
The extension to Terminal 1 was granted planning permission by Fingal County Council last April, but appealed by Ryanair and the Portmarnock Community Association.
In its ruling yesterday, An Bord Pleanala said it took into account the National Development Plan, the National Spatial Strategy and the Government's Transport 21 blueprint, all three of which prioritise public transport and the roads which serve Dublin Airport.
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
An Bord Pleanala yesterday gave the green light for a 7,500sq m extension to the terminal in the face of objections from Ryanair and a local resident's association.
The plan involves a 20pc increase in the number of check-in desks in a bid to tackle the growing bottleneck in the departures lounge.
The planning authority also put a limit of 32 million passengers a year using the expanded Terminal 1 and the approved second terminal.
The extension to Terminal 1 was granted planning permission by Fingal County Council last April, but appealed by Ryanair and the Portmarnock Community Association.
In its ruling yesterday, An Bord Pleanala said it took into account the National Development Plan, the National Spatial Strategy and the Government's Transport 21 blueprint, all three of which prioritise public transport and the roads which serve Dublin Airport.
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
DAA to invest €435m in airport in 2008
The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) plans to invest €435m - or, well over €1m per day - during 2008 on its Transformation Programme for Dublin Airport, according to DAA Chairman, Gary McGann.
Speaking before An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, T.D., officially opened the Airport's new Pier D boarding gate facility, Mr McGann said the DAA was well on its way to expanding, improving and modernising Dublin Airport for passengers and other customers.
"Pier D has just opened - on time and on budget - and customers can now look forward to a similar quality airport travel experience - though on a greater scale - when the new passenger terminal and related facilities come on stream in just two-and-a-half years' time" - he said.
Construction of the new terminal (T2) began on Oct 1 and is scheduled for completion before the end of 2009. Following a subsequent intensive commissioning, testing and training period, T2 will open to the travelling public in April 2010. The 75,000sq m terminal and related facilities will cost €610m.
An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, T.D., said - "Dublin Airport is the fastest growing major airport in Europe and one of the busiest - with annual passenger numbers having doubled to more than 20 million over the past decade and set to increase to 30 million by the middle of the next decade.
"The huge increase in passenger numbers has, of course, put a great deal of pressure on the facilities at the airport - especially during the very busy summer months. That is why the Dublin Airport Authority is investing €2 billion over the next decade to radically improve the passenger experience here."
Pier D has 12 new boarding gates and 14 aircraft contact stands. Contact stands allow aircraft to board and disembark passengers, directly - without the need for buses.
Six gates are currently operational and the remaining six will become operational in early 2008, when the now-disused temporary prefabricated walkway is removed and the concrete underlay resurfaced. The overall cost of Pier D and the 'Skybridge' was €120m.
The pier has a capacity to handle approximately 10m passengers per year - or an average of over 27,000 arriving and departing passengers per day. The pier will be used principally by short-haul aircraft on routes to and from the United Kingdom and Continental Europe.
Pier D is a 250m long, two-storey, segregated building - which means that arriving and departing passengers are kept apart for aviation security purposes/
The curved 'Skybridge' was built to convey passengers from the terminal building to the pier. It is 350m long, 12m wide and has eight moving walkways for arriving and departing passengers. A large glass panel, featuring the image of a famous Irish writer and an extract from one of their works, is located at each of the 12 boarding gates in Pier D.
www.buckplanning.ie
Speaking before An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, T.D., officially opened the Airport's new Pier D boarding gate facility, Mr McGann said the DAA was well on its way to expanding, improving and modernising Dublin Airport for passengers and other customers.
"Pier D has just opened - on time and on budget - and customers can now look forward to a similar quality airport travel experience - though on a greater scale - when the new passenger terminal and related facilities come on stream in just two-and-a-half years' time" - he said.
Construction of the new terminal (T2) began on Oct 1 and is scheduled for completion before the end of 2009. Following a subsequent intensive commissioning, testing and training period, T2 will open to the travelling public in April 2010. The 75,000sq m terminal and related facilities will cost €610m.
An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, T.D., said - "Dublin Airport is the fastest growing major airport in Europe and one of the busiest - with annual passenger numbers having doubled to more than 20 million over the past decade and set to increase to 30 million by the middle of the next decade.
"The huge increase in passenger numbers has, of course, put a great deal of pressure on the facilities at the airport - especially during the very busy summer months. That is why the Dublin Airport Authority is investing €2 billion over the next decade to radically improve the passenger experience here."
Pier D has 12 new boarding gates and 14 aircraft contact stands. Contact stands allow aircraft to board and disembark passengers, directly - without the need for buses.
Six gates are currently operational and the remaining six will become operational in early 2008, when the now-disused temporary prefabricated walkway is removed and the concrete underlay resurfaced. The overall cost of Pier D and the 'Skybridge' was €120m.
The pier has a capacity to handle approximately 10m passengers per year - or an average of over 27,000 arriving and departing passengers per day. The pier will be used principally by short-haul aircraft on routes to and from the United Kingdom and Continental Europe.
Pier D is a 250m long, two-storey, segregated building - which means that arriving and departing passengers are kept apart for aviation security purposes/
The curved 'Skybridge' was built to convey passengers from the terminal building to the pier. It is 350m long, 12m wide and has eight moving walkways for arriving and departing passengers. A large glass panel, featuring the image of a famous Irish writer and an extract from one of their works, is located at each of the 12 boarding gates in Pier D.
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
Dublin Airport's space age Pier D
THIS is the gleaming, futuristic sight that will greet the 10 million passengers set to pass through Dublin's Airport's new Pier D in the next year.
Travellers destined for the new pier will be whisked there by a sleek-looking 'skybridge' complete with travelators. Their various departure and arrival needs will be catered for by state-of-the-art facilities.
It was smiles all round at Dublin Airport yesterday as the €120m wonder of architecture that is Pier D was formally unveiled.
Dublin Airport Authority chairman Gary McGann told the assembled crowd that the project was "on time and on budget".
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, also made an appearance for the formal unveiling.
Both men went on to stress that Pier D was just the first phase in a much larger plan, with the DAA on target to spend more than €1m a day next year.
"This is a state-of-the-art facility, up to the best of international standards," said Mr Ahern.
He added that the views, in particular, were "spectacular".
Mr McGann admitted that the pier would handle less than half of Dublin Airport's annual passengers, currently running at about 23 million. Even those who were accommodated in Pier D for landing or take-off would still have to trek through parts of the often-congested main airport.
"The quality of what we've developed here in comparison with the temporary situation is a massive improvement," he said. "People will see evidence that at least the end is near.
"For all the other passengers (who won't use Pier D), we have to go as fast as we can go and as fast as planning is allowing us to go to move on all the other infrastructure," he said.
The next major piece of infrastructure is the airport's second terminal, due to be opened in 2010.
Our picture of the new pier is by Irish Independent photographer Frank McGrath.
Laura Noonan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Travellers destined for the new pier will be whisked there by a sleek-looking 'skybridge' complete with travelators. Their various departure and arrival needs will be catered for by state-of-the-art facilities.
It was smiles all round at Dublin Airport yesterday as the €120m wonder of architecture that is Pier D was formally unveiled.
Dublin Airport Authority chairman Gary McGann told the assembled crowd that the project was "on time and on budget".
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, also made an appearance for the formal unveiling.
Both men went on to stress that Pier D was just the first phase in a much larger plan, with the DAA on target to spend more than €1m a day next year.
"This is a state-of-the-art facility, up to the best of international standards," said Mr Ahern.
He added that the views, in particular, were "spectacular".
Mr McGann admitted that the pier would handle less than half of Dublin Airport's annual passengers, currently running at about 23 million. Even those who were accommodated in Pier D for landing or take-off would still have to trek through parts of the often-congested main airport.
"The quality of what we've developed here in comparison with the temporary situation is a massive improvement," he said. "People will see evidence that at least the end is near.
"For all the other passengers (who won't use Pier D), we have to go as fast as we can go and as fast as planning is allowing us to go to move on all the other infrastructure," he said.
The next major piece of infrastructure is the airport's second terminal, due to be opened in 2010.
Our picture of the new pier is by Irish Independent photographer Frank McGrath.
Laura Noonan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
Ryanair challenge to 'costly' terminal
RYANAIR yesterday kicked off a legal challenge against the decision to grant planning permission to Dublin Airport's second terminal.
The low-fares airline says the terminal plans should be overthrown because they are too costly.
If the challenge succeeds, work on the terminal could be halted until a new design can be approved, causing untold delays and additional costs.
But Dublin Airport director Robert Hilliard insisted that work would continue on the €395m project "until there's an injunction", adding that Ryanair's legal challenge had "the smallest of small" chances of success.
Meanwhile Ryanair said last night it was "confident of success" in the action.
Ryanair's challenge centres on An Bord Pleanala's August decision to grant planning permission to the first phase of the airport's second terminal.
At the time, Ryanair slammed the plans as "gold-plated" and said they would lead to "a doubling of the already high passenger charges".
In legal documents lodged yesterday, Ryanair says the planning board's decision to grant permission was "unreasonable and irrational''. Ryanair's filings also claim the terminal will cost at least €609m, while the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) puts its cost at €395m.
In addition, the low-cost airline says An Bord Pleanala exceeded its jurisdiction by increasing the terminal's capacity by two million passengers a year, to 32 million.
Mr Justice Peter Kelly yesterday admitted Ryanair's challenge to the big business division of the High Court, the Commercial Court.
Laura Noonan and Diarmaid McDermott
Irish Independent
The low-fares airline says the terminal plans should be overthrown because they are too costly.
If the challenge succeeds, work on the terminal could be halted until a new design can be approved, causing untold delays and additional costs.
But Dublin Airport director Robert Hilliard insisted that work would continue on the €395m project "until there's an injunction", adding that Ryanair's legal challenge had "the smallest of small" chances of success.
Meanwhile Ryanair said last night it was "confident of success" in the action.
Ryanair's challenge centres on An Bord Pleanala's August decision to grant planning permission to the first phase of the airport's second terminal.
At the time, Ryanair slammed the plans as "gold-plated" and said they would lead to "a doubling of the already high passenger charges".
In legal documents lodged yesterday, Ryanair says the planning board's decision to grant permission was "unreasonable and irrational''. Ryanair's filings also claim the terminal will cost at least €609m, while the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) puts its cost at €395m.
In addition, the low-cost airline says An Bord Pleanala exceeded its jurisdiction by increasing the terminal's capacity by two million passengers a year, to 32 million.
Mr Justice Peter Kelly yesterday admitted Ryanair's challenge to the big business division of the High Court, the Commercial Court.
Laura Noonan and Diarmaid McDermott
Irish Independent
Airport's €120m Pier D ready for take off
RELIEF could finally be on hand for some of the long-suffering travelling public using Dublin Airport, as the €120m Pier D opens.
The airport is spending some €250m this year on upgrading the airport which has been making the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
This Sunday the public will finally begin to see some return for that outlay.
It is estimated that five million people a year will avail of the new facility.
The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) hopes the opening will improve the airport's image which has taken a battering over its crowded hallways.
Dublin Airport boss Robert Hilliard agrees there was room for improvement: "The best I think we can say at the moment is that it works."
Pier D, the DAA hopes, will start redressing the balance, as part of the overall €2bn 10-year plan for a complete modernisation.
Just four flights will go through the pier on its first day, before it "starts proper" on Tuesday.
"We want to make sure that any tweaks that are there will be worked through," says Mr Hilliard.
Pier D can ultimately handle 12 flights at a time, but the facility will offer only six gates until next April. That's because the DAA needs to dismantle existing infrastructure on one side of the pier before that side can take planes, Hilliard says.
"What we're trying to do is cause as little disruption as possible," he adds.
Pier D will be used almost exclusively by short-haul planes, with Ryanair and Aer Lingus likely to be the most frequent users.
For the short-haul passengers who do make it to the new pier, the DAA promises spacious surrounds, complete with a Soho Coffee Co coffee shop, a Thomas Read's bar and a Hughes & Hughes bookshop. For the plane-gazers, there are near panoramic views of the airfield. It is a bit of a hike away -- some 350m -- but this will be traversed using new travelators through a corridor dubbed the "Skybridge".
Looking at Pier D this week, it's a mite difficult to see much of the vision the DAA waxes so lyrically about. The magnificent views are there for all to behold and the spaciousness of the place can't be denied, but beyond that, Pier D is quite literally a hard-hat building site.
The DAA, however, is completely confident of the Pier's opening next week "on time and on budget".
Laura Noonan
Irish Independent
The airport is spending some €250m this year on upgrading the airport which has been making the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
This Sunday the public will finally begin to see some return for that outlay.
It is estimated that five million people a year will avail of the new facility.
The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) hopes the opening will improve the airport's image which has taken a battering over its crowded hallways.
Dublin Airport boss Robert Hilliard agrees there was room for improvement: "The best I think we can say at the moment is that it works."
Pier D, the DAA hopes, will start redressing the balance, as part of the overall €2bn 10-year plan for a complete modernisation.
Just four flights will go through the pier on its first day, before it "starts proper" on Tuesday.
"We want to make sure that any tweaks that are there will be worked through," says Mr Hilliard.
Pier D can ultimately handle 12 flights at a time, but the facility will offer only six gates until next April. That's because the DAA needs to dismantle existing infrastructure on one side of the pier before that side can take planes, Hilliard says.
"What we're trying to do is cause as little disruption as possible," he adds.
Pier D will be used almost exclusively by short-haul planes, with Ryanair and Aer Lingus likely to be the most frequent users.
For the short-haul passengers who do make it to the new pier, the DAA promises spacious surrounds, complete with a Soho Coffee Co coffee shop, a Thomas Read's bar and a Hughes & Hughes bookshop. For the plane-gazers, there are near panoramic views of the airfield. It is a bit of a hike away -- some 350m -- but this will be traversed using new travelators through a corridor dubbed the "Skybridge".
Looking at Pier D this week, it's a mite difficult to see much of the vision the DAA waxes so lyrically about. The magnificent views are there for all to behold and the spaciousness of the place can't be denied, but beyond that, Pier D is quite literally a hard-hat building site.
The DAA, however, is completely confident of the Pier's opening next week "on time and on budget".
Laura Noonan
Irish Independent
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
DAA signs seven T2 contracts
The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has signed seven major contracts to allow construction work to start immediately on T2, the new passenger terminal at Dublin Airport.
The seven contracts, which have a combined value of about €180m, were awarded following a major international tender process. The contracts cover areas such as concrete, steelwork, cladding and logistics. The DAA now plans to begin construction of T2 immediately.
The T2 project is a key element of the DAA's €2 billon Transforming Dublin Airport programme, which will improve, expand and modernise the passenger facilities at Dublin Airport.
"We were pleased with the level and quality of interest in this hugely important project and we are very happy that we have got the right skills at the best price" - said DAA Chief Executive Declan Collier. "We look forward to working in partnership with each of these seven contractors to deliver some of the key elements of T2" - he added.
The seven firms that signed T2 construction contracts are -
* Alandale Logistics - Logistics & General Builders
* Fitzpatrick - Apron Works
* Laing O'Rourke - Sub structure and superstructure concrete
* McAvoy Group - Accommodation
* Martifer/Mota-Engil/Coffey - Cladding
* SIAC - Enabling Works & Services
* Watson Steel Structures - Steelworks.
The seven contracts represent the first tranche of 17 separate construction packages that comprise the overall T2 project. The project - which includes a 75,000 sq m terminal building, a 24,000 sq m departures pier and a wide range of other airport campus upgrades - has been broken into 17 elements, each of which was tendered separately.
Declan Collier said that this multi-package approach would allow T2 to be delivered on time and on budget. "We - and our construction partners - are focused on delivering T2 within a tight timeframe and this process allows us to move at the required speed to have the project completed on target and T2 operational in April 2010."
The new terminal will cost €395 million, while the overall T2 project has a price tag of €609 million. A consortium comprising Arup, Pascall+Watson Architects and Mace is responsible for the design and the project management of T2.
The seven contracts, which have a combined value of about €180m, were awarded following a major international tender process. The contracts cover areas such as concrete, steelwork, cladding and logistics. The DAA now plans to begin construction of T2 immediately.
The T2 project is a key element of the DAA's €2 billon Transforming Dublin Airport programme, which will improve, expand and modernise the passenger facilities at Dublin Airport.
"We were pleased with the level and quality of interest in this hugely important project and we are very happy that we have got the right skills at the best price" - said DAA Chief Executive Declan Collier. "We look forward to working in partnership with each of these seven contractors to deliver some of the key elements of T2" - he added.
The seven firms that signed T2 construction contracts are -
* Alandale Logistics - Logistics & General Builders
* Fitzpatrick - Apron Works
* Laing O'Rourke - Sub structure and superstructure concrete
* McAvoy Group - Accommodation
* Martifer/Mota-Engil/Coffey - Cladding
* SIAC - Enabling Works & Services
* Watson Steel Structures - Steelworks.
The seven contracts represent the first tranche of 17 separate construction packages that comprise the overall T2 project. The project - which includes a 75,000 sq m terminal building, a 24,000 sq m departures pier and a wide range of other airport campus upgrades - has been broken into 17 elements, each of which was tendered separately.
Declan Collier said that this multi-package approach would allow T2 to be delivered on time and on budget. "We - and our construction partners - are focused on delivering T2 within a tight timeframe and this process allows us to move at the required speed to have the project completed on target and T2 operational in April 2010."
The new terminal will cost €395 million, while the overall T2 project has a price tag of €609 million. A consortium comprising Arup, Pascall+Watson Architects and Mace is responsible for the design and the project management of T2.
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
New airport terminal 'could be full soon after it opens'
DUBLIN Airport may need a third terminal just two years after the second passenger facility comes on stream in 2010.
A new report, commissioned by businessman Ulick McEvaddy who wants to build a third terminal on land he owns to the west of the existing terminal, shows that up to 32 million people a year could be using the airport by 2012.
That could mean another terminal would be needed to avoid the huge queues which have dogged the airport for years.
The report analyses projected-traffic data provided by the Dublin Airport Authority and compares it with actual traffic through the airport. It warns that unless planning for the third terminal begins soon, the airport faces years of congestion and traffic chaos.
"This paper provides numerical evidence that the Government must, as a matter of urgency, begin the process to build a third terminal at Dublin Airport," it says. "Failure to do so will ensure that chaotic passenger and road congestion will continue well into the later years of the next decade."
An analysis of passenger numbers through the airport shows that numbers have been 'widely underestimated' for many years.
In 2004, the 'high-growth' scenario suggested that 16.6 million people would use the airport. The actual number was 17.138 million. The following year, the high-growth scenario said 17.5 million would use the facility, but 18.45 million people passed through the airport.
Last week, the Dublin Airport Authority revealed that 2.4 million people travelled through the airport in August -- an increase of 9pc on last year. The report notes that forecasts are 'significantly incapable' of allowing any party to 'strategically plan' for future capacity.
An Bord Pleanala, in its grant of planning permission for the second terminal known as T2, has put a cap of 32 million people using the facility. The report warns that unless passenger growth collapses, this cap will be reached between 2011-2013.
"In late 1995, Aer Rianta (now the Dublin Airport Authority) provided a written position on proposals for the development of a second commercial airport for Dublin. Speaking on passenger capacity, they declared that that forecast was to grow to 14 million by 2005 -- they underestimated by an amazing 4,450,439 passengers," it says.
"Some 10 years later -- 2005, it appears that the Authority's ability to forecast continues to be their 'Achilles heel' in that they will have underestimated the 2007 traffic by approximately 2.5 million passengers."
It continues that both Ryanair and Aer Lingus continue to pursue 'significant growth strategies', and that transatlantic airlines will be attracted to Dublin Airport due to congestion in other airports including Heathrow and Charles de Gaulle. A second runway, which has also been granted planning permission, will add to the attractiveness of the airport.
"Taking an upbeat terminal construction project completion augury of between 3 and 5 years will mean that if we are to avoid the mistakes of the past, we need to begin the project no later than the first quarter of 2008," it concludes.
But the Dublin Airport Authority said that while its forecasts had underestimated passenger growth in the past, there was no need for a third terminal until 'at least' 2014/2015.
"It's all a question of timing," a spokesperson said. "There's no dispute that Dublin Airport will need a third terminal.
"There has been a huge bubble of growth in Dublin, principally driven by Ryanair's decision to expand. The economy is slowing down, and the airlines are unlikely to expand.
"If passenger traffic were to grow by our higher forecasts, we expect to need a third terminal by 2014/2015. Lower forecasts would see it needed by 2018.
"There is no need to plan a third terminal until T2 is open in 2010."
Irish Independent
A new report, commissioned by businessman Ulick McEvaddy who wants to build a third terminal on land he owns to the west of the existing terminal, shows that up to 32 million people a year could be using the airport by 2012.
That could mean another terminal would be needed to avoid the huge queues which have dogged the airport for years.
The report analyses projected-traffic data provided by the Dublin Airport Authority and compares it with actual traffic through the airport. It warns that unless planning for the third terminal begins soon, the airport faces years of congestion and traffic chaos.
"This paper provides numerical evidence that the Government must, as a matter of urgency, begin the process to build a third terminal at Dublin Airport," it says. "Failure to do so will ensure that chaotic passenger and road congestion will continue well into the later years of the next decade."
An analysis of passenger numbers through the airport shows that numbers have been 'widely underestimated' for many years.
In 2004, the 'high-growth' scenario suggested that 16.6 million people would use the airport. The actual number was 17.138 million. The following year, the high-growth scenario said 17.5 million would use the facility, but 18.45 million people passed through the airport.
Last week, the Dublin Airport Authority revealed that 2.4 million people travelled through the airport in August -- an increase of 9pc on last year. The report notes that forecasts are 'significantly incapable' of allowing any party to 'strategically plan' for future capacity.
An Bord Pleanala, in its grant of planning permission for the second terminal known as T2, has put a cap of 32 million people using the facility. The report warns that unless passenger growth collapses, this cap will be reached between 2011-2013.
"In late 1995, Aer Rianta (now the Dublin Airport Authority) provided a written position on proposals for the development of a second commercial airport for Dublin. Speaking on passenger capacity, they declared that that forecast was to grow to 14 million by 2005 -- they underestimated by an amazing 4,450,439 passengers," it says.
"Some 10 years later -- 2005, it appears that the Authority's ability to forecast continues to be their 'Achilles heel' in that they will have underestimated the 2007 traffic by approximately 2.5 million passengers."
It continues that both Ryanair and Aer Lingus continue to pursue 'significant growth strategies', and that transatlantic airlines will be attracted to Dublin Airport due to congestion in other airports including Heathrow and Charles de Gaulle. A second runway, which has also been granted planning permission, will add to the attractiveness of the airport.
"Taking an upbeat terminal construction project completion augury of between 3 and 5 years will mean that if we are to avoid the mistakes of the past, we need to begin the project no later than the first quarter of 2008," it concludes.
But the Dublin Airport Authority said that while its forecasts had underestimated passenger growth in the past, there was no need for a third terminal until 'at least' 2014/2015.
"It's all a question of timing," a spokesperson said. "There's no dispute that Dublin Airport will need a third terminal.
"There has been a huge bubble of growth in Dublin, principally driven by Ryanair's decision to expand. The economy is slowing down, and the airlines are unlikely to expand.
"If passenger traffic were to grow by our higher forecasts, we expect to need a third terminal by 2014/2015. Lower forecasts would see it needed by 2018.
"There is no need to plan a third terminal until T2 is open in 2010."
Irish Independent
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
DAA approves contracts for T2
The Board of the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has approved the placing of a number of significant contracts that will enable construction work to proceed, as soon as possible, on the second passenger terminal (T2) at Dublin Airport.
Following the recent decision by by An Bord Pleanála, the DAA plans to begin initial site work for T2 in the first week of October, subject to agreement with the relevant statutory authorities. "The contracts approved, have a combined value of about €200m and cover key elements of the new terminal, including the building's sub and superstructure, steelwork and exterior walls and roof" - said DAA Chief Executive, Declan Collier.
On behalf of the DAA Board, the Chairman, Gary McGann welcomed An Bord Pleanála's decision to grant permission for T2 and, separately, for the new runway that will be required at Dublin Airport within the next five years. "It is patently clear to all reasonable observers that Dublin Airport urgently needs significant additional capacity, appropriate to a capital city airport and one of the busiest and fastest-growing such facilities in Europe.
"The Government has directed that T2 be built as quickly as the planning system allowed and the costs of the development have been independently assessed and affirmed. The business and tourism communities have given their strong support for it and passengers are looking forward to the space, comfort and additional choice of services that it will provide.
"In this context, the Board of the DAA is pleased to be in a position to approve commencement of one of the most important infrastructural projects in the history of the State and one that will secure Dublin Airport's position as the key gateway to the island of Ireland for decades to come.
"With the best interests of all Dublin Airport's customers in mind, the Board also hopes the construction timeline for T2 and related facilities is not subject to vexatious legal challenges and the threat of further unnecessary delays" - Mr McGann added.
Following the recent decision by by An Bord Pleanála, the DAA plans to begin initial site work for T2 in the first week of October, subject to agreement with the relevant statutory authorities. "The contracts approved, have a combined value of about €200m and cover key elements of the new terminal, including the building's sub and superstructure, steelwork and exterior walls and roof" - said DAA Chief Executive, Declan Collier.
On behalf of the DAA Board, the Chairman, Gary McGann welcomed An Bord Pleanála's decision to grant permission for T2 and, separately, for the new runway that will be required at Dublin Airport within the next five years. "It is patently clear to all reasonable observers that Dublin Airport urgently needs significant additional capacity, appropriate to a capital city airport and one of the busiest and fastest-growing such facilities in Europe.
"The Government has directed that T2 be built as quickly as the planning system allowed and the costs of the development have been independently assessed and affirmed. The business and tourism communities have given their strong support for it and passengers are looking forward to the space, comfort and additional choice of services that it will provide.
"In this context, the Board of the DAA is pleased to be in a position to approve commencement of one of the most important infrastructural projects in the history of the State and one that will secure Dublin Airport's position as the key gateway to the island of Ireland for decades to come.
"With the best interests of all Dublin Airport's customers in mind, the Board also hopes the construction timeline for T2 and related facilities is not subject to vexatious legal challenges and the threat of further unnecessary delays" - Mr McGann added.
Friday, 31 August 2007
Local objectors dismayed by Dublin airport decision
Objectors to Dublin airport's expansion plans have reacted with dismay to An Bord Pleanála's decision to give the go-ahead to a new terminal and runway.
Several residents groups in the north Dublin area objected to the Dublin Airport Authority plans on the grounds that more aircraft would mean greater levels of noise pollution and stress on the local infrastructure.
The Portmarnock Community Association (PCA) said the decision was not only bad for local residents, but also for Ireland's aviation strategy.
The PCA set up United Portmarnock Residents Opposing Another Runway (Uproar) three years ago to voice their opposition to the expansion plans. It picketed the oral hearings conducted by An Bord Pleanála last year.
Uproar urged the Government to develop a second airport for Dublin away from the existing one and recommended Baldonnel as one of the alternative options.
Uproar spokesman Brian Byrne, a former Dublin airport manager, said An Bord Pleanála had behaved "disgracefully" in making the decision.
"We're not surprised, but we are disappointed. We have pursued a campaign against the second runway in the context of the best interests of the people in our community in Portmarnock," he said.
"The new runway threatens the well-being of the community because of the noise, the pollution and other environmental consequences.
"The more macro point is that it is a bad planning decision. We are now making an unsustainable Dublin airport. It's too big. It will create a monster and turn an asset into a liability.
"It runs against Government policy of a proper national spatial strategy, decentralisation, rural development," he added. It also continued "the overloading of the eastern side of the country".
"This is going to have a much greater impact on other airports than any decision to take away the Heathrow slots at Shannon."
The St Margaret's Concerned Residents Group, whose members live near the site of the proposed new runway, said the decision would make it difficult for them to continue living there.
"There is a condition attached to the planning permission that our homes be insulated against the noise, but who is going to insulate our gardens and our outdoor amenities?" asked Sheila Morris, secretary of the group.
"We won't be able to use our gardens. It will ruin our quality of life," she said.
"We felt the environmental impact study carried out by the Dublin Airport Authority paid more attention to the flora and fauna in our local area than it did to us."
The group also opposed the airport expansion plans on the grounds that they would have a serious impact on traffic in the area.
Both groups were among seven objectors to the proposals which included Ryanair and An Taisce.
An Taisce objected on the basis of the impact of the expansion plans on air quality in the north Dublin area.
The Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Club, the Portmarnock Community School and St Helen's Senior National School also objected to the expansion plans proposed by the Dublin Airport Authority.
Mayor of Fingal Cllr Alan Farrell said the location of the new terminal close to the existing one was a "colossal" waste of money and it should have been situated away from the present terminal.
"It seems to me that the decision was taken on political rather than planning grounds. I'm not talking about the decision by An Bord Pleanála, it clearly ticked all their boxes, but the decision to give the second terminal the go-ahead in its present guise."
Ronan McGreevy
(c) Irish Times 29.08.07
Several residents groups in the north Dublin area objected to the Dublin Airport Authority plans on the grounds that more aircraft would mean greater levels of noise pollution and stress on the local infrastructure.
The Portmarnock Community Association (PCA) said the decision was not only bad for local residents, but also for Ireland's aviation strategy.
The PCA set up United Portmarnock Residents Opposing Another Runway (Uproar) three years ago to voice their opposition to the expansion plans. It picketed the oral hearings conducted by An Bord Pleanála last year.
Uproar urged the Government to develop a second airport for Dublin away from the existing one and recommended Baldonnel as one of the alternative options.
Uproar spokesman Brian Byrne, a former Dublin airport manager, said An Bord Pleanála had behaved "disgracefully" in making the decision.
"We're not surprised, but we are disappointed. We have pursued a campaign against the second runway in the context of the best interests of the people in our community in Portmarnock," he said.
"The new runway threatens the well-being of the community because of the noise, the pollution and other environmental consequences.
"The more macro point is that it is a bad planning decision. We are now making an unsustainable Dublin airport. It's too big. It will create a monster and turn an asset into a liability.
"It runs against Government policy of a proper national spatial strategy, decentralisation, rural development," he added. It also continued "the overloading of the eastern side of the country".
"This is going to have a much greater impact on other airports than any decision to take away the Heathrow slots at Shannon."
The St Margaret's Concerned Residents Group, whose members live near the site of the proposed new runway, said the decision would make it difficult for them to continue living there.
"There is a condition attached to the planning permission that our homes be insulated against the noise, but who is going to insulate our gardens and our outdoor amenities?" asked Sheila Morris, secretary of the group.
"We won't be able to use our gardens. It will ruin our quality of life," she said.
"We felt the environmental impact study carried out by the Dublin Airport Authority paid more attention to the flora and fauna in our local area than it did to us."
The group also opposed the airport expansion plans on the grounds that they would have a serious impact on traffic in the area.
Both groups were among seven objectors to the proposals which included Ryanair and An Taisce.
An Taisce objected on the basis of the impact of the expansion plans on air quality in the north Dublin area.
The Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Club, the Portmarnock Community School and St Helen's Senior National School also objected to the expansion plans proposed by the Dublin Airport Authority.
Mayor of Fingal Cllr Alan Farrell said the location of the new terminal close to the existing one was a "colossal" waste of money and it should have been situated away from the present terminal.
"It seems to me that the decision was taken on political rather than planning grounds. I'm not talking about the decision by An Bord Pleanála, it clearly ticked all their boxes, but the decision to give the second terminal the go-ahead in its present guise."
Ronan McGreevy
(c) Irish Times 29.08.07
Terminal delay to cost the DAA €3m a week
THE GOVERNMENT has admitted that its own deadline for construction of Dublin Airport's second terminal will be missed by two years.
It was now expected to be some time in 2011 before T2 would be commissioned, Transport Minister Noel Dempsey said yesterday.
And Ryanair said it will seek a court order stopping all work on the terminal until its legal challenge is heard and the decision to allow building work to commence is reversed.
Ryanair spokesman Jim Callaghan said the planning permission granted on Wednesday was in breach of planning guidelines and that its High Court challenge would also centre on the lack of access to the airport.
Capacity
There would be sufficient capacity to cater for 26m passengers -- three million more than is currently needed -- when an extended terminal opens in October, and the airport would grow for another two years without passengers being affected.
"We're going to apply for a stay on construction," Mr Callaghan said last night.
"The airport is saying this has to be built by 2009, but the Minister says it won't be built until 2011.
"We're not just trying to block development at the airport, but why not build a low-cost terminal. If we got the green light tomorrow we could have a new terminal in 18 months."
Yesterday Mr Dempsey said the delay in having the terminal built was costing the Dublin Airport Authority €3m a week.
He said the date was originally set for the end of 2009, with commissioning in 2010, but there had been delays in the planning process which set this back. "It is unfortunate that there have been such delays which put things back six or seven months," he said.
"But it is now expected it will be 2011 before it is fully commissioned and that is really pushing the extremities of this."
He said he knew from speaking to the Dublin Airport Authority that they would try to get this completed as quickly as possible. "The delay in planning has been costing them €3m a week and obviously they are not going to hang around.
"Hopefully, the legal challenges can be quickly dismissed and we can move on to the construction," he added.
Mr Dempsey said that the new terminal was a welcome decision.
"This is absolutely necessary. Everybody has had the experience of moving in and out of Dublin Airport and we all know there are huge problems there space-wise.
"I often wonder how people can get around the airport. It is a tribute to the staff there that things work as well as they do in the circumstances," he said.
"It will be a huge opportunity to increase competition at the airport and to attract new business," he added.
Irish Independent
It was now expected to be some time in 2011 before T2 would be commissioned, Transport Minister Noel Dempsey said yesterday.
And Ryanair said it will seek a court order stopping all work on the terminal until its legal challenge is heard and the decision to allow building work to commence is reversed.
Ryanair spokesman Jim Callaghan said the planning permission granted on Wednesday was in breach of planning guidelines and that its High Court challenge would also centre on the lack of access to the airport.
Capacity
There would be sufficient capacity to cater for 26m passengers -- three million more than is currently needed -- when an extended terminal opens in October, and the airport would grow for another two years without passengers being affected.
"We're going to apply for a stay on construction," Mr Callaghan said last night.
"The airport is saying this has to be built by 2009, but the Minister says it won't be built until 2011.
"We're not just trying to block development at the airport, but why not build a low-cost terminal. If we got the green light tomorrow we could have a new terminal in 18 months."
Yesterday Mr Dempsey said the delay in having the terminal built was costing the Dublin Airport Authority €3m a week.
He said the date was originally set for the end of 2009, with commissioning in 2010, but there had been delays in the planning process which set this back. "It is unfortunate that there have been such delays which put things back six or seven months," he said.
"But it is now expected it will be 2011 before it is fully commissioned and that is really pushing the extremities of this."
He said he knew from speaking to the Dublin Airport Authority that they would try to get this completed as quickly as possible. "The delay in planning has been costing them €3m a week and obviously they are not going to hang around.
"Hopefully, the legal challenges can be quickly dismissed and we can move on to the construction," he added.
Mr Dempsey said that the new terminal was a welcome decision.
"This is absolutely necessary. Everybody has had the experience of moving in and out of Dublin Airport and we all know there are huge problems there space-wise.
"I often wonder how people can get around the airport. It is a tribute to the staff there that things work as well as they do in the circumstances," he said.
"It will be a huge opportunity to increase competition at the airport and to attract new business," he added.
Irish Independent
Thursday, 30 August 2007
Irish Independent on the Dublin Airport terminal decision
THE long-awaited second terminal and new runway for Dublin airport were last night cleared for take-off.
But the beleaguered €760m project faces the prospect of fresh delays after Ryanair confirmed it would take legal action to prevent the terminal being built.
The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) is now facing a race against time to have the second terminal completed by a 2009 deadline.
In a decision which allows the airport to effectively double in size, An Bord Pleanala last night ruled that the DAA must abide by 61 planning conditions.
Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary wants to see an independent second terminal which would effectively act as competition to the DAA's facility, while local residents and An Taisce may also mount a legal challenge against the project.
Confirming it would take High Court action, Ryanair described the terminal plan as a "gold-plated abusive waste" by a "monopoly".
DAA chief executive Declan Collier said work should commence in the coming weeks, and that congestion for passengers would be "eliminated" when the terminal opened in early 2010.
He said just one "commercial organisation" opposed plans for the terminal, and suggested its position was motivated by "narrow self-interest" rather than the interests of passengers.
Giving the green light to the two projects, the planning appeals board capped the number of passengers who can use the airport at 32 million per year, and restricted the number of aircraft landing per night to 65.
The second terminal, known as T2, will be 75,000 sqm and will cater for 15 million passengers a year.
The DAA was refused permission to build 17,000 sqm of extensions in the future, meaning that if it wants to increase capacity at the airport it must re-apply for planning permission.
Permission was refused for the extensions because the local road network could not cope with the increased traffic.
The planning permission, which lasts for five years, will allow construction of the new terminal building which will provide parking spaces for 19 aircraft, an upgrade of the road network in the airport and provision for a Metro North stop.
It will cost €395m to build, but associated works will lead to an eventual bill of €609m.
The new runway will be built 1.7km north of the existing runway.
It will expand the potential airfield capacity of Dublin to 50m passengers per year, but this would require a third terminal to be built.
The board found that the runway and new terminal complied with national and regional planning guidelines, was in the National Development Plan and the Government's Transport 21 programme.
"It is considered that the proposed development is necessary to meet the foreseeable need for aviation travel at Dublin airport and to provide for the safe expansion of air traffic at the airport," it said.
The inspector dealing with the runway application raised concerns about "deficiencies" in the planning application, but the board found there was sufficient information to grant approval.
It found there would be "no significant deterioration" in night-time noise, and in fact some improvements during the day for some residents.
The ruling caps the number of long-term car parking spaces at 26,800, and 4,000 short-term.
Irish Independent
But the beleaguered €760m project faces the prospect of fresh delays after Ryanair confirmed it would take legal action to prevent the terminal being built.
The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) is now facing a race against time to have the second terminal completed by a 2009 deadline.
In a decision which allows the airport to effectively double in size, An Bord Pleanala last night ruled that the DAA must abide by 61 planning conditions.
Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary wants to see an independent second terminal which would effectively act as competition to the DAA's facility, while local residents and An Taisce may also mount a legal challenge against the project.
Confirming it would take High Court action, Ryanair described the terminal plan as a "gold-plated abusive waste" by a "monopoly".
DAA chief executive Declan Collier said work should commence in the coming weeks, and that congestion for passengers would be "eliminated" when the terminal opened in early 2010.
He said just one "commercial organisation" opposed plans for the terminal, and suggested its position was motivated by "narrow self-interest" rather than the interests of passengers.
Giving the green light to the two projects, the planning appeals board capped the number of passengers who can use the airport at 32 million per year, and restricted the number of aircraft landing per night to 65.
The second terminal, known as T2, will be 75,000 sqm and will cater for 15 million passengers a year.
The DAA was refused permission to build 17,000 sqm of extensions in the future, meaning that if it wants to increase capacity at the airport it must re-apply for planning permission.
Permission was refused for the extensions because the local road network could not cope with the increased traffic.
The planning permission, which lasts for five years, will allow construction of the new terminal building which will provide parking spaces for 19 aircraft, an upgrade of the road network in the airport and provision for a Metro North stop.
It will cost €395m to build, but associated works will lead to an eventual bill of €609m.
The new runway will be built 1.7km north of the existing runway.
It will expand the potential airfield capacity of Dublin to 50m passengers per year, but this would require a third terminal to be built.
The board found that the runway and new terminal complied with national and regional planning guidelines, was in the National Development Plan and the Government's Transport 21 programme.
"It is considered that the proposed development is necessary to meet the foreseeable need for aviation travel at Dublin airport and to provide for the safe expansion of air traffic at the airport," it said.
The inspector dealing with the runway application raised concerns about "deficiencies" in the planning application, but the board found there was sufficient information to grant approval.
It found there would be "no significant deterioration" in night-time noise, and in fact some improvements during the day for some residents.
The ruling caps the number of long-term car parking spaces at 26,800, and 4,000 short-term.
Irish Independent
An Bord Pleanála gives terminal the green light
PLANS by Dublin Airport to open its much-needed second passenger terminal in 2009 could face further delays, despite yesterday’s decision by an Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for the €609 million project.
Ryanair last night indicated it will mount a High Court challenge to overturn the decision, which it claims was based on “political interference”.
The planning authority gave the green light for the second terminal — known as T2 — subject to 30 conditions, including a restriction that the combined capacity of both terminals shall not exceed 32 million passengers per annum.
However, it refused the Dublin Airport Authority planning permission for the proposed second phase of T2 on the basis it would be premature without improvements to the local road network.
The original decision by Fingal County Council last October to approve the project was appealed by a large number of parties, including Ryanair, An Taisce and local residents including the Portmarnock Community Association.
Despite Ryanair’s threat of a legal challenge, the DAA said preliminary construction work on the terminal could begin in a few weeks.
DAA chief executive Declan Collier accused Ryanair of being motivated by “narrow self-interest rather than the interests of Dublin Airport, passengers and the wider Irish economy”.
However, Ryanair criticised the ABP ruling, claiming the planning authority had merely rubber-stamped a development that was shown to be in breach of Fingal County Council’s own capacity limits and allowed for the destruction of a protected structure, Corballis House.
In a separate decision, the planning authority also granted approval for the construction of a 3.1km runway at Dublin Airport against the advice of its own planning inspector.
However, it placed 31 separate conditions on the planning permission, including a restriction on night-time flights and other measures to limit noise from aviation traffic in order to address the concerns of local residents and schools.
The new €150m runway, which is expected to be fully operational by 2012, will allow Dublin Airport to handle up to 60m passengers in the long term.
Irish Examiner
Ryanair last night indicated it will mount a High Court challenge to overturn the decision, which it claims was based on “political interference”.
The planning authority gave the green light for the second terminal — known as T2 — subject to 30 conditions, including a restriction that the combined capacity of both terminals shall not exceed 32 million passengers per annum.
However, it refused the Dublin Airport Authority planning permission for the proposed second phase of T2 on the basis it would be premature without improvements to the local road network.
The original decision by Fingal County Council last October to approve the project was appealed by a large number of parties, including Ryanair, An Taisce and local residents including the Portmarnock Community Association.
Despite Ryanair’s threat of a legal challenge, the DAA said preliminary construction work on the terminal could begin in a few weeks.
DAA chief executive Declan Collier accused Ryanair of being motivated by “narrow self-interest rather than the interests of Dublin Airport, passengers and the wider Irish economy”.
However, Ryanair criticised the ABP ruling, claiming the planning authority had merely rubber-stamped a development that was shown to be in breach of Fingal County Council’s own capacity limits and allowed for the destruction of a protected structure, Corballis House.
In a separate decision, the planning authority also granted approval for the construction of a 3.1km runway at Dublin Airport against the advice of its own planning inspector.
However, it placed 31 separate conditions on the planning permission, including a restriction on night-time flights and other measures to limit noise from aviation traffic in order to address the concerns of local residents and schools.
The new €150m runway, which is expected to be fully operational by 2012, will allow Dublin Airport to handle up to 60m passengers in the long term.
Irish Examiner
Wednesday, 1 August 2007
New planning delay blow to airport plans
AN Bord Pleanala is set to delay a long-awaited decision on a second passenger terminal for Dublin Airport.
Airport authorities now face a race against time to have the much-needed facility open for business in time for the 2010 summer season.
The planning board was due to decide on the €395m development "no later than August 4". However, it is understood it has now revised this to mid-September.
This means the terminal's November 2009 deadline will be missed by up to six months, with a September decision implying a May 2010 opening date.
And the delays could cost the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) several million euro, the Irish Independent has learned.
And even if permission is granted, Ryanair has already indicated it will seek a judicial review of the decision which could further delay the project.
However, it is understood that a legal challenge will not stop construction works.
An airport spokesman said he had no knowledge of any delay, adding: "The company has not had any recent communication from the board and for the sake of all customers the DAA hopes to receive a positive planning outcome within the next few days."
A six-week delay would cost several million euro.
But if the project is further delayed, either through a planning decision being postponed or, in a worst case scenario, refused, it could have significantly wider implications.
Impact
A lengthy delay could also have a significant impact on the timing of the eventual opening.
The DAA originally planned to open the terminal in November so that it would become operational during a quiet period of the aviation year.
Assuming planning permission is granted in mid-September (not early August), that opening date becomes close to May 2010, which is the beginning of the busy season. However, if planning permission was to be delayed by a further few months, the DAA could find itself opening its terminal in the peak season of June or July 2010, which would present many logistical challenges.
DAA chairman Gary McCann has previously said the authority needed "planning clarity" by the end of last June so the second terminal would meet its November 2009 deadline.
He said delays would cost the airport authority up to €3m a month.
However, the deadline was since changed to March 2010, but now it has emerged that delays could delay the project by at least another three months.
The 75,000 square metre complex will take 30 months to build and now airport bosses face the nightmarish scenario of having to open the terminal just as the 2010 summer season kicks off.
Designed to cater for 15m passengers a year, it will provide relief for hard-pressed travellers who are currently forced to use an airport operating above capacity.
Paul Melia and Laura Noonan
Irish Independent
Airport authorities now face a race against time to have the much-needed facility open for business in time for the 2010 summer season.
The planning board was due to decide on the €395m development "no later than August 4". However, it is understood it has now revised this to mid-September.
This means the terminal's November 2009 deadline will be missed by up to six months, with a September decision implying a May 2010 opening date.
And the delays could cost the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) several million euro, the Irish Independent has learned.
And even if permission is granted, Ryanair has already indicated it will seek a judicial review of the decision which could further delay the project.
However, it is understood that a legal challenge will not stop construction works.
An airport spokesman said he had no knowledge of any delay, adding: "The company has not had any recent communication from the board and for the sake of all customers the DAA hopes to receive a positive planning outcome within the next few days."
A six-week delay would cost several million euro.
But if the project is further delayed, either through a planning decision being postponed or, in a worst case scenario, refused, it could have significantly wider implications.
Impact
A lengthy delay could also have a significant impact on the timing of the eventual opening.
The DAA originally planned to open the terminal in November so that it would become operational during a quiet period of the aviation year.
Assuming planning permission is granted in mid-September (not early August), that opening date becomes close to May 2010, which is the beginning of the busy season. However, if planning permission was to be delayed by a further few months, the DAA could find itself opening its terminal in the peak season of June or July 2010, which would present many logistical challenges.
DAA chairman Gary McCann has previously said the authority needed "planning clarity" by the end of last June so the second terminal would meet its November 2009 deadline.
He said delays would cost the airport authority up to €3m a month.
However, the deadline was since changed to March 2010, but now it has emerged that delays could delay the project by at least another three months.
The 75,000 square metre complex will take 30 months to build and now airport bosses face the nightmarish scenario of having to open the terminal just as the 2010 summer season kicks off.
Designed to cater for 15m passengers a year, it will provide relief for hard-pressed travellers who are currently forced to use an airport operating above capacity.
Paul Melia and Laura Noonan
Irish Independent
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