Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 26 July 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport

Situation at Dublin Airport: Discussion

Photo of Gerry HorkanGerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The authority is almost a victim of its own success, which is a good thing.

I have a final question, if the Cathaoirleach does not mind. The new control tower is there, which is great, and the new runway will be opened in the next month or so, which is also great. I was talking to a country manager of one of the long-haul airlines who said it would love to bring in a couple more flights a week and the airport has the slots but it does not have the baggage handlers, the check-in agents or the air bridge operators. How is that hindering Dublin Airport's ability to sell itself as having the handling partners required? Equally, do Sky and Swissport have the staff to bring in new business or accept new business if it is looking to be here?

I have a final question. The committee visited Shannon Airport . We saw the new cabin baggage screening, which, I am aware, is extremely expensive and heavy. It is a game-changer, though, because it can deal with larger liquids, is much quieter, there is less confiscation, fewer bags needing to be pulled and so on. When does the authority see that baggage screening coming into Dublin Airport? The other point is about how can DAA handle new business. Is there a capacity constraint on Dublin Airport, and where is the authority relative to that?

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