Dublin and Cork airports to cut a potential 1,000 jobs

State company DAA is seeking to cut a potential 1,000 jobs at Dublin and Cork airports as it grapples with ongoing fallout from the Covid-19 crisis.

Dalton Philips, chief executive of the company, which runs both airports, told workers on Tuesday that it needs to reduce the number of frontline workers to reflect a dramatic fall in air travellers.

Dublin and Cork airports face a 40 per cent-plus collapse in passenger numbers this year to a combined 21 million from a total of 35.5 million in 2019.

Details

Mr Philips told staff in a letter that the last time the two airports handled 21 million passengers, they had between 750 and 1,000 fewer staff.

Dublin and Cork airports to cut a potential 1,000 jobs

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However, his letter does not specify that the company wants to cut its 3,500-strong workforce by that number.

It states that DAA will give staff details of a proposed voluntary redundancy scheme next week.

“This economic crisis is serious, and we need to take action quickly, but we will work collaboratively with you and staff representatives to achieve the necessary cost savings,” Mr Philips’ letter says.

“This inevitably will involve a substantial re-sizing of our business, new ways of working and significantly fewer employees. It is likely that reductions in staffing will have to apply throughout the business.”

Numbers

Passenger numbers at Dublin Airport tumbled 99 per cent to 27,000 in April from a record 2.8 million in the same month in 2019.

DAA could potentially shelve a €2 billion expansion that included extra piers and boarding gates that would allow Dublin Airport handle up to 40 million passengers a-year.

Mr Philips confirmed that it would finish building a new runway on which work has already begun, instal new baggage screening systems and continue core maintenance.

However, his letter says all other building plans would be reviewed. “The appropriate timing of future capital projects will also be considered in the context of the very uncertain passenger demand position in the coming years,” he says.