Airport chief turns on critics as Pier D opens

At the official opening of the new Pier D facility the chairman of Dublin Airport Authority, Garry McGann, claimed the efficiency of Dublin airport is no worse than most other European airports.

Acknowledging that the scale and quality of facilities at the airport failed to match the pace of aviation growth in recent years, Mr McGann insisted the time taken from entrance hall to departure gate was comparable to airports anywhere.

Mr McGann, who said he travels through some 1,000 airports annually, challenged observers at the opening of Pier D to name another airport which was noticably superior to Dublin in the context of time taken to reach the departure gate.

While he said the airport was crowded, "the optic was worse than the reality" and most queues actually moved quite rapidly.

He praised the ability of staff to handle more then 20 million passengers a year and took the opportunity to reject criticism of the airport's ambitious €2 billion expansion programme - referring to "ill informed or mischievous public commentary".

Mr McGann said the authority would press ahead with the building of the second terminal in the face of a legal challenge from Ryanair.

Asked about comments which frequently cited the cost and distance of car parks, lengthy baggage queues, queues at immigration booths and the price of food in the restaurants Mr McGann said some costs were a matter for the airport's partners with whom it had franchise agreements.

However, he said the authority had no control over baggage handling, the Garda national immigration bureau, customs and excise or when airlines opened gates for boarding. When an airline was late in boarding a plane it represented a delay "in real time" which was likely to affect other services as the day went on.

Asked if he was satisfied with the comparatively long walkway through prefabricated buildings to a prefabricated departure lounge/arrival hall on the airport's apron, Mr McGann said the authority required the facility because its expansion was "10 years behind".

An authority spokesman said the prefabricated walkway was due to be removed by the end of this month, in line with ground works for the opening of the southern side of Pier D.

The prefabricated departure gates/arrival hall are to remain in place for some time yet however, and will be accessed via the new "skybridge" to Pier D.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern paid tribute to Mr McGann for his project management of Pier D which he said was not only on time and within budget, but had been brought in at a cost 20 per cent lower than that being charged in the UK or Europe.