Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 20 October 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport

Chairperson Designate of the DAA: Discussion

Mr. Basil Geoghegan:

Airport charges are across the board. If I am an airline running on a positive route, for example, Dublin to London Heathrow, I have a different profit structure than someone struggling to put on a new route from Shannon to Zürich. Subsidy is a public good and has to be directed to the right place. Having a laser focus on that is important. Some of that is also to help the airports. Hub airports may recover a bit faster but it is to help an airport make the investment it needs so it can attract that airline. So a bit is needed on both sides.

On the question of where we will get more growth, the answer is everywhere. It is not just new places but also density to places. If I am going to Vienna for a business meeting, I want to know I can get on a flight to Vienna at 7 a.m. and leave Vienna at 6 p.m. to come back. Double daily flights are important. I hope we will have much more long haul out of Dublin. Therefore, it is about making sure we have enough flights coming in to connect with those because connecting traffic is important. It is everything and we----

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