Government official complained after TikTok boss denied ‘platinum’ service at Dublin Airport

A top Government official complained that the chief executive of Chinese video-sharing app TikTok was denied access to Dublin Airport’s private terminal in June, documents show.

Moves to keep the platinum service open for new bookings only from diplomatic VIPs and those flying privately were also branded by the official as “elitist”.

Platinum Services, which offers concierge baggage handling, dedicated security screening, and chauffeur driven BMWs directly to aircraft was closed to new bookings in June following political pressure from Minister of State at the Department of Transport Hildegarde Naughton, documents show.

The decision caused a backlash among officials and testy exchanges — with the secretary general of the Department of Enterprise, Dr Orlagh Quinn, complaining that TikTok had been denied access to the service for its chief executive when he was coming in to announce 1,000 jobs and meet the Taoiseach.

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Dr Quinn wrote to an official in the Department of Transport, without mentioning the company by name, and said the chief executive of a “major multinational company” was coming to Dublin in the coming days “to meet the Taoiseach and announce the creation of 1,000 additional jobs. I understand that his team have been refused access to Platinum Service on his behalf”.

Two days later, TikTok chief executive Shouzi Chew met Micheál Martin and announced 1,000 jobs in Ireland. “You will appreciate that this doesn’t help us in seeking to locate investment and high value jobs in Ireland,” Dr Quinn wrote.

The behind-the-scenes row is outlined in private correspondence obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

The documents show that political pressure began to be exerted at the start of June, shortly after Dalton Philips, the chief executive of airport operator DAA, admitted to using the service — which starts at €295 a head — when he went through the airport just before queuing chaos at the end of May.

[ TikTok to create 1,000 new jobs ]

The documents show Ms Naughton sought a “withdrawal of the platinum service facility that allows those willing to pay the fees to bypass the normal security queues” and for staff to be redeployed. When asked how much extra resource this would free up, the same official noted in later correspondence that while it would make a “relevant resource contribution ... the optics of having the facility open is obviously the greater political concern”.

The initial note was sent to three of the top civil servants in the State, including John Callinan, secretary general of the Department of the Taoiseach and head of the Civil Service.

[ Dublin Airport shuts platinum service ]

There was immediate pushback from Dr Quinn, under whose department the inward investment agency IDA Ireland operates. The agency brings overseas executives through the private terminal, with an IDA official in the exchanges saying the curtailment of the service would be a “retrograde step, taken at the wrong time”. She also consulted Martin Shanahan, the chief executive of IDA Ireland, the records show.

Dr Quinn wrote that she wanted to retain the service, arguing Ireland is “an island nation, with strong dependence on FDI [foreign direct investment] ... this service particularly facilitates executives who make very short visits to this country as part of business decisions to invest”.

“I expect the IDA will be dealing with many irate calls next week, adding to the further negative reputation impacts,” she wrote. In later correspondence she outlined her concern that “we are reacting to a short term problem without sufficient data, analysis or consideration of the longer term consequences for investment in Ireland”.

In the middle of June, Ms Naughton accepted a proposal from DAA which would allow “DFA [Department of Foreign Affairs] protocol clients” — high ranking diplomats, heads of state or Government, or foreign ministers — to use the terminal, and that other users “notably business execs — who would use platinum in connection with scheduled commercial flights rather than private jets will not be able to make new bookings”, Dr Quinn was told in an email.

The DAA proposed that those on private jets or chartered flights — “political leaders, business leaders and celebrity sporting and entertainment figures” as well as some “sensitive cases and organ transfers” could make new bookings at the terminal.

She responded saying she was “surprised” at the proposed approach.

“It appears to now be even more elitist, by only allowing politicians and those with their own aircraft to use the platinum service. In fact, this cohort could potentially use private airfields and could be deemed to be less in need than those who didn’t have these options.”

She said many senior executives making significant investments in Ireland use commercial flights.

The DAA confirmed that it went ahead with the proposed approach, which remains in place.

In response to the suggestion that the service might be considered elitest, a DAA spokesperson said: “It is normal that an international airport would have a range of different options available to passengers. Indeed, Dublin Airport is no different to businesses in any other sector in having a suite of services or products to offer customers at a range of price points. Being able to offer choice to those flying in and out of Dublin Airport is important too for the Irish economy at large.” - This article was amended on July 23rd.