DAA Announce Airport Plans

[Mark Hennessy]

Does anyone know for sure where the Metro stop will be then?

New airport terminal to cost over €395 million
By David Labanyi and Luke Cassidy Last updated: 30-08-06, 16:02

Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) this afternoon unveiled plans for a new €395m terminal in the State's busiest airport.

Construction of the second terminal (T2) is due to begin next year and is expected to be completed in the Autumn of 2009.

According to the DAA, T2 will raise capacity at the airport to a potential 35 million passengers per year.

The design of T2 is a 75,000 square metre, three-storey, curvilinear building of around that sits astride the main access road to Terminal One. The DAA said that the fact that the building sits astride the road means that traffic for the existing passenger terminal will pass under this link on its way to the other terminal.

DAA chairman Gary McGann said T2 would "provide a cost effective solution to Dublin Airport's current capacity deficit" adding that the new terminal is "an elegant and contemporary gateway for 21st century Ireland,".

The total cost of the new infrastructure, which includes a new pier building (Pier E) and a new internal road network stands at just over €600m. Locations for a future Metro station and a ground transportation centre are also provided in the development plan.

The Cabinet is expected to agree to the expansion of the airport to cater for a projected doubling of passenger numbers over the next couple of years. The issue was at the top of the agenda for the first Cabinet meeting since the summer recess.

Planning permission for the terminal and Pier E, will be lodged later this week with Fingal County Council.

The expansion is seen as necessary as passenger numbers at the airport continue to grow. About 20 million passengers are expected to use Dublin this year. Passenger numbers at the airport had grown by 15 per cent this July, compared with the previous year.

The DAA's plan to build a second runway at the airport will be discussed at an oral hearing An Bord Pleanála next month.

The An Bord Pleanála hearing into appeals against the decision of Fingal County Council to grant permission for a second runway will be heard on September 26th.

The council is expected to strongly defend its decision.


© 2006 ireland.com