Aer Lingus is appealing planning permission granted to Ryanair to build a €40 million four-bay aircraft maintenance hangar at Dublin Airport. Aer Lingus sought leave from An Bord Pleanála to lodge a third-party appeal against last month’s decision by Fingal County Council to grant Ryanair planning permission. It is estimated the project will create over 200 jobs for engineers and mechanics.
In a separate but related move Aer Lingus is also seeking leave to appeal against a grant of permission by Fingal County Council last month to the Dublin Airport Authority for an extension to the north apron at the airport.
Aer Lingus did not make a submission on either application when the cases were before the council. Instead Aer Lingus is applying under Section 37(6) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 to lodge appeals.
In a three-page submission concerning the Ryanair permission the director of corporate affairs at Aer Lingus, Niall Timlin, told the appeals board that the Ryanair permission would result “in a material effect on the enjoyment” of Aer Lingus of its land and its value adjacent to the permitted Ryanair hangar.
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Aer Lingus operates hangar 6 at Dublin Airport and Ryanair has obtained planning permission for a new facility, hangar 7.
Mr Timlin said that if Ryanair proceeded with the planning permission Aer Lingus would “be restricted in terms of aircraft leaving and entering hangar 6 and aircraft parking on the hangar 6 apron before and after they undergo maintenance service”. He said “this will have a profound negative impact” on the Aer Lingus operation.
He pointed out to the appeals board that the roof of hangar 7 was reduced in size in the permission granted. He said the reduction in the roof could have a material impact on how the hangar would accommodate the Boeing 737W Max and the larger Boeing 737 Max 10.
Mr Timlin said that any changes in how aircraft were parked in the hangar could result in the aircraft taking longer to pass in and out, and this could lead to a “sensitive pinch point between” the existing Aer Lingus hangar and the proposed Ryanair hangar. He said “the use of the apron for access is critical to the orderly and efficient use of the hangar”.
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