DAA in 'detailed' talks on T2 with Air India

DUBLIN AIRPORT Authority (DAA) chief executive Declan Collier has said its “detailed negotiations” with Air India on using its newly-opened Terminal 2 (T2) facility as a hub for flights to the US were “progressing well”.

Mr Collier said the DAA was also “talking to some other Asian airlines in China and southeast Asia” about using T2, and there had also been “huge interest” from some Gulf airlines in the US customs and border protection (CBP) facilities that would open next month.

CBP will allow passengers travelling from T2 to arrive into the US as domestic passengers and so avoid lengthy immigration queues.

Ireland is the only country in Europe with such a facility.

Mr Collier said Dublin airport currently handled 500,000 to 600,000 transit passengers a year. Most of these travel with Aer Lingus. “We expect that number to grow substantially in the next couple of years.”

In an interview with online trade publisher Air Transport News, Mr Collier said the DAA was also keen to pursue its Dublin airport city complex concept which was unveiled in April 2008 to much fanfare and a price tag of €4 billion.

“Clearly the downturn in economy not just in Ireland but worldwide has certainly had an impact on that in terms of financing and interest.

“But the airport city concept is still a very important part of what we hope to do at the airport over the long term. Our airport city could see the establishment of an international clean-tech services centre...with huge connectivity to the city centre by public transport.”

Mr Collier also suggested that Metro North, which will stop at Dublin airport, could be operational by 2014.

He said the proposed Metro, which has so far avoided the Government cull of State-funded capital programmes, was “very important” for Dublin airport given that 46 per cent of passengers were using public transport.

“The State’s procurement process is well advanced, and we could have Metro operations from the city centre by 2014,” Mr Collier added.

The DAA chief said the State company would still like to progress plans for a new runway at Dublin airport. These were put on ice during the recession.

“We hope to start building and deliver on that as soon as possible. It depends on the economic recovery and the planning process.”