Latest news with #DarraghOBrien
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Dublin and Cork airports both had busiest ever May in 2025
Dublin and Cork airports both had their busiest ever May last month. Passenger numbers were up 4.5 per cent in Dublin Airport, with three 120,000 passenger days in May, while Cork Airport passenger numbers were up 17 per cent. Advertisement Cork Airport welcomed over 330,000 passengers in May, following their announcement last month of a €200 million capital investment plan. Dublin Airport welcomed more than 3,257,700 passengers in May, and on 27 days, there were more than 100,000 passengers passing through. The previous highest ever number of passengers in the month of May was 115,000 on May 23rd, 2024. The May performance reflects the demand that exists to travel through Ireland's national hub airport and onwards to other destinations throughout the island, as well as people connecting from Ireland to destinations across the world, a daa press release said. Advertisement The company added that "due to the High Court decision that the Irish Aviation Authority cannot take the passenger planning cap into account when allocating slots to airlines, the number of flights has surged in the summer period". "However, this is a temporary relief pending the outcome of the legal process currently before the European Court of Justice, and the cap remains in place until a solution is found," they said. "Daa continues to do all it can to remove the passenger cap through the planning system and welcomes the comments by Minister of Transport Darragh O'Brien at Dublin Chamber of Commerce last month that he expects to bring forward legislative proposals to resolve the issue in the coming months, while respecting the independence of the planning process." Daa chief executive Kenny Jacobs said that the May Bank Holiday weekend brought a brilliant start to the month at Cork Airport, with passenger numbers on that weekend up 20 per cent on the same weekend in 2024. Advertisement "We're also celebrating new routes, including the start last Saturday of SunExpress' route to Izmir in Türkiye. SunExpress is Cork's ninth and newest airline, and it's great to have a direct service to Türkiye on the route map," he said. "With the peak holiday season now in full flow, the whole team at Cork Airport are well prepared for a very busy summer - quite possibly the busiest summer ever. It's great to see such healthy numbers on some of our inbound services from the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy as tourists fly to Cork – the gateway to the South of Ireland," Mr Jacob added. He also said that summer has come early to Dublin Airport, with May 2025 "comfortably" their busiest ever, with three record-breaking 120,000+ passenger days. "It's all hands-on-deck across the airport to make sure our passengers have a smooth and enjoyable time at the airport, and we're working hard to ensure standards are even higher than they were last summer when our passenger satisfaction scores reached an all-time high," Mr Jacobs said. Advertisement "We've listened closely to what areas passengers want us to focus on, and we are using that feedback to introduce a whole host of improvements that aim to remove pinch points for those both arriving and departing from our terminals." He added that May numbers at Dublin Airport were boosted by the launch of new routes, including direct Aer Lingus services to Nashville and Indianapolis. "Of course, we would be adding even more high-demand new routes if it wasn't for the uncertainty of the passenger cap, which is still making airlines cautious about bringing increased frequencies and new direct routes to locations like India, Brazil and Singapore. That will remain the case until the cap is fully removed," he said. "Research we commissioned from independent polling company Red C found that 86 per cent of Fingal residents support further development of Dublin Airport to allow it to grow, while 84% agree that having the airport in their community fuels economic development".
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Londonderry to Dublin flights 'could resume by end of 2026'
Flights between Londonderry and Dublin could resume by the end of 2026 after a 14-year break, an Irish government minister has said.A daily flight between City of Derry Airport and Dublin, funded by the Irish government, was withdrawn in to revive the service faltered in 2016 following the Brexit Irish government minister and Donegal TD (Irish MP) Charlie McConalogue has told BBC News NI discussions to have the service reinstated by the end of next year are ongoing. "The Irish government are committed to stepping this forward, have put a timeline in place as to how we can make this happen, and I have been liaising with the minister for transport and City of Derry management," he told BBC Radio Foyle's Mark Patterson said restoring the route had been a commitment in the Irish government's programme for government and it would added that next month the transport Minister Darragh O'Brien will meet management at the airport to further progress the plans. The route would be funded under a public service obligation (PSO).A PSO air route sees a government support flights which would not be commercially viable without financial the London government provides financial backing for the Derry to London PSO route. 'A real disadvantage to Derry and Donegal' McConalogue said the loss of the service in 2011 has "been a real disadvantage to Derry, Donegal, and the north west region".Its resumption would provide the region with "really important connectivity, international connectivity," he added: "Obviously there are a number of steps there in terms of the economic analysis and the role of the Shared Island Unit which has been very important to a number of initiatives."The Irish government's Shared Island Unit was established in 2020 to deliver all-island investment has previously been put towards big projects in Northern Ireland like the A5 road and the redevelopment of Casement Park.
Irish Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Possible bus and rail infrastructure for Shannon Airport raised with Government
The Government has been asked to consider a 'high speed bus network' for the Shannon catchment area as part of a strategy to wrest aircraft traffic from Dublin Airport . In a letter outlining the need for a fundamental rethink of aviation policy across the island, Shannon Airport Group chief executive Mary Considine also argued the west of Ireland terminal would probably see a rail link before the capital. In a 'Seven Supporting Arguments' document presented by Ms Considine at the outset of the new Dáil, she said that the impasse around Dublin's 32 million annual passenger cap had become a distraction from a broader debate on regional expansion and sustainability. 'One assumption that should be challenged is that Ireland has an aviation and airports policy that is fit-for-purpose. We do not,' she wrote in a letter seeking a significant reassessment as part of the programme for government. READ MORE [ Transport Minister hopes legislation can resolve Dublin passenger cap Opens in new window ] [ TD calls for changes to boost regional services Opens in new window ] 'Whatever the future holds, a planning decision on the Dublin [Airport passenger] cap is at least two years away. There is a better chance there will be a rail connection to Shannon before one arrives at Dublin Airport.' Minister of Transport Darragh O'Brien has been holding a series of stakeholder meetings in recent weeks as the Government prepares to renew its ten year National Aviation Policy , with a draft anticipated in early 2026. This has opened the door for critics of the Dublin Airport cap of 32 million passengers a year and, simultaneously, those who would have it upheld , to argue their position. DAA, which runs Dublin and Cork airports, has been fighting to have the curtailment extended by way of a slow-moving planning process. 'I've entrepreneurial spirit in my veins' – Apprentice star Jordan Dargan Listen | 44:45 A separate regional airports programme running from 2026 to 2030 is also under development and is expected later this year. A Department of Transport spokesman said that following the latter's completion and to 'support growth in connectivity and strategic route development to and from the regions, the department will be engaging with the market to consider the potential for the development of an exchequer-funded start-up aid scheme to support new routes'. How this would work in practice is not yet known, but it would likely be a welcome signal of intent from a Government that has also committed to ending the Dublin cap. In her submission to the new Government last January, a copy of which was obtained under Freedom of Information, Ms Considine argued for sustainable growth across all State airports and an approach that 'fully utilises capacity in the regions' and to reduce 'overreliance' on Dublin which accommodates about 86 per cent of traffic. 'Public policy needs to align with where passengers want to go, what economic development, including regional development, requires in future, how decarbonisation is best achieved, and where there is substantial additional capacity now,' Ms Considine wrote. She said an immediately available additional capacity for five million annual passengers between the south (Cork) and west (Shannon) was being 'ignored' even though 40 per cent of passengers wish to travel to the regions. Given an exponential growth in air traffic, she argued, leaning on one airport 'creates a single point of risk that is reckless'. She also raised the threat to national security of cyberattacks and sabotage. 'Prudence and safety require that we avoid almost complete reliance on one State airport for connectivity, with the consequent logistical and reputational issues that would arise were our air traffic to be virtually grounded.' The document suggested the Government consider the London model where Gatwick, Stansted and Luton airports alleviate pressure on Heathrow. Flying from Shannon instead of Dublin, it said, results in a 4.6kg reduction on road based CO₂ emissions per passenger.
Irish Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Residents and Transport Minister signal `constructive' Dublin Airport talks
Local residents and Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien said they had 'constructive' talks on the Dublin Airport passenger limit. The Minister met residents who have demanded the Government tackle noise and health issues before resolving the row over the 32 million a-year passenger cap imposed by planners on the airport. The St Margaret's The Ward Residents' Group, which represents people living closest to the hub, and a spokeswoman for the Minister, dubbed the talks 'constructive' following the meeting. Residents' spokesman Liam O'Gradaigh said the group stressed concerns about policies that favour Dublin over regional airports; an alleged €800 million yearly health cost arising from noise ; and the need to ensure airlines use flight paths for which planners have granted permission. READ MORE Locals complained of the impact on their lives in the three years since Dublin Airport opened its north runway at the launch of a report last month. 'We told the Minister of the importance of having local residents' involvement in developing the new aviation strategic plan,' he added. [ Living near Dublin Airport: `The noise is overwhelming' Opens in new window ] He argued that Government should address the fact 85 per cent of passengers travel through Dublin while 'Cork, Shannon and Knock' were underutilised. However, Sara Ryan, director of communications with the State airport operator DAA, pointed out that this was the pattern in many EU countries. She said Amsterdam Schiphol had 86 per cent of Dutch national traffic while Vienna handled 90 per cent of Austria's passengers. Ms Ryan argued that curtailing Dublin risked prompting airlines to shift routes out of Ireland. The DAA spokeswoman stressed that experts designed the paths taken by aircraft taking off from Dublin's north runway in line with safety regulations set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, part of the UN. 'The role of the Irish Aviation Authority is to review the flight paths proposed and ensure they align with safety requirements,' she added. DAA is evaluating the methodology used in the report that calculated the residents' health bill at €800 million, according to Ms Ryan. She noted that it was based on a study done for Brussels Airport, which assumed the same conditions applied in both cases and said DAA would take time to see how it applied in Dublin. Mr O'Brien told the Dublin Chamber business group this week that he had sought advice from Attorney General Rossa Fanning on legislation that would lift the cap while respecting the independence of the planning process. The Government has pledged to raise the limit following talks with all interested parties.
Irish Times
14-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Minister for Transport hopes legislation can resolve row over cap on passenger numbers at Dublin Airport
Darragh O'Brien has told a leading business group that he hoped legislation could end the row over the limit of 32 million passengers a year at Dublin Airport. The Minister for Transport had said last month that he had sought advice from Attorney General Rossa Fanning , the Government's chief legal officer, on a solution to a dispute that has prompted court challenges from airlines. Speaking to business group Dublin Chamber on Tuesday, the minister said he hoped legislation could end the row while respecting the independence of the planning process. An Bord Pleanála imposed the limit on the country's biggest airport in 2007 as condition of allowing it to add a second terminal. The move was meant to allay fears over traffic jams on the roads to and from the gateway, which have since been upgraded. READ MORE Airport operator, state company DAA , has asked local planning authority, Fingal County Council, for permission to increase the cap to 36 million and 40 million in separate applications. Mr O'Brien told the chamber on Tuesday that he was continuing to engage with Mr Fanning on the issue. The Coalition said it was committed to ending the row, but also pledged to consult 'all stakeholders'. The minister's predecessor, Eamon Ryan , had argued that the Government could not intervene directly as it had to respect the independence of the planning process. A legal challenge to the cap by airlines including Aer Lingus and Ryanair prompted the High Court in effect to suspend the cap's implementation while it sought clarification from the European courts on key issues that the carriers raised. However, the planning condition remains in place. Mr O'Brien, speaking at Dublin Chamber's 'Meet the Minister' session, also welcomed news that the DAA planned to invest €200 million in Cork Airport to boost capacity there to five million.
