The timetable set by the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) for the new terminal at the airport has been described as "very ambitious" by the aviation regulator.
The DAA hopes to open the 75,000 sq m (807,293 sq ft) terminal by autumn 2009, but Cathal Guiomard said he had not even received a full capital investment plan from the DAA and he could not start to study the proposals formally until then.
The DAA wants charges for passengers to increase from just over €6 to €7.50 a head to pay for the terminal, but Mr Guiomard said he might not make a decision until next June. This would be in the form of a draft determination. The DAA claims the 2009 timetable was originally set by the Government.
Speaking during a press briefing yesterday in Dublin, Mr Guiomard was asked whether the autumn 2009 timetable was achievable. "This is a very ambitious set of timetables. The whole thing is very ambitious. They have a lot of expertise from firms that have worked on Terminal 5 in Heathrow," he said.
The DAA will present its capital investment plan to the regulator within a number of weeks, it is understood. The DAA believes it should not take a period of six months to determine the new charge.
Despite this, Mr Guiomard said there could be several sources of delay. "For example, it's completely outside our office but, if somebody takes a judicial review to the planning board's decision, the whole thing stops. It's Carrickmines all over again."
It is also possible Mr Guiomard may take into account the recent €200 million in revenue the DAA gained from the sale of the Great Southern Hotel group. He said he might take this into account and the DAA's overseas assets when considering what the passenger charges should be. But he said this would only happen if a convincing reason was provided.
"At present the regulatory till is just the airport. The other stuff is outside that," said Mr Guiomard. "I absolutely do not want to pre-judge what the eventual decision will be."
He said he wanted to hear a wide range of airline views and not just Ryanair before making a decision.
