Aer Lingus and not Ryanair will be using the new €395 million second terminal at Dublin airport, it was disclosed yesterday.
Ryanair passengers will still be required to pay additional passengers charges to fund the second terminal, even though they will not be using the facility. The airline declined to comment last night, but is expected to make a statement today.
Ryanair is likely to be using the first terminal for many years because formal plans for a third terminal have not been developed. The chief executive of the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) Declan Collier said the new terminal would also give spin-off benefits to the first terminal. "It will free up the first terminal," he said at a press conference in Dublin.
The DAA yesterday confirmed plans to submit a planning application for a new 75,000 sq m facility to Fingal County Council. It will be able to handle 15 million people and should be operating by 2009, said Mr Collier.
It is understood that Aer Lingus and other transatlantic carriers will be the primary users of the new terminal. Airports tend to group wide-bodied, long-haul aircraft together, with appropriate aircraft stands.
The 75,000 sq m facility will be a "bright, modern building" featuring "large airy spaces in areas such as check-in, baggage reclaim, security and departure lounges," said the DAA yesterday.
The size of the new terminal is closely bound up with the expansion plans of Aer Lingus. Within a few years, the airline is hoping to have 14 long-haul aircraft flying to a host of long-haul destinations, not just in the US. Among the destinations likely are South Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
The airline has a €2 billion expansion plan which envisages a complete long-haul fleet renewal programme and also additions to its current short-haul fleet. The airline is also considering a second hub, more than likely in Europe.
