Sir, – Further to "Dublin airport pauses sale of fast-track passes following lengthy delays" (News, March 29th), there was a time, not too long ago, when direct flights linked Cork airport to major European cities such as Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Madrid, Prague and Warsaw. This is no longer the case.
Now travellers from Munster – an area with almost the same population as Dublin – must first trek to Dublin to reach these cities. This results in thousands of cars and buses making the three to six-hour trip to Dublin airport, and back, with increased environmental damage.
Travellers then end up adding to the queues in Dublin airport, while Cork and Shannon airports lie underutilised.
Who dreamed up this scenario? Do the different agencies, local authorities and politicians in the southern region ever engage with each other to provide real incentives for airports and airlines to bring more flights to the two underused international airports on our doorstep? In 2019, 3.4 million overseas tourists visited the Wild Atlantic Way: how many of the millions of incoming travellers from European countries heading for the Wild Atlantic Way in the south and west are now compelled to transit via Dublin Airport instead of landing in Cork or Shannon?
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Apart from the tourist trade, increased direct air links to continental Europe would be attractive to the over 250 multinational companies in the Cork-Limerick-Shannon region as well as to the large student population in the region. Surely local authorities, local councillors, TDs, MEPs, Bord Fáilte, Chambers of Commerce and embassies between them can exert enough pressure to ensure that air routes are spread around the country rather than being concentrated in the bottleneck that Dublin airport has become. – Yours, etc,
G NEVILLE,
Sunday’s Well,
Cork.
Sir, –I had the misfortune to have to travel via Dublin Airport two weeks ago to return to the US.
It was a good thing we got to the airport 4½ hours before flight departure. Lengthy delays abounded.
The on-site Covid-19 testing centre needed for an official antigen test was not signposted. The inadequate WiFi at the airport delayed receipt of Covid test results. The Aer Lingus check-in counters were understaffed. Standard Dublin Airport security was relatively fast, but completely unnecessary as US-bound travellers had to go through a second round of security at the US pre-clearance facility, which was, as has been the case for years, drastically understaffed.
All told, maybe 3.5 hours of standing. Dublin Airport is for the hale and hearty only – the young and vigorous, people able to endure a marathon gauntlet of insults – people, incidentally, who have the patience of Job. – Yours, etc,
DENIS COTTER,
Middleburg,
Virginia, US.
Sir, – Saudi's General Authority of Civil Aviation must have its head buried in the sand following the award of the management of Jeddah airport to a subsidiary of DAA ("Irish company also won contract to manage new Red Sea project airport", Business, March 28th).
Clearly the Saudis are not aware of or doesn’t care about the level of mismanagement by the DAA of security at Dublin Airport in the recent past which has caused untold disruption and resulted in great inconvenience to many travellers going through Dublin Airport.
Not only that but the DAA has admitted that this disruption and inconvenience will continue indefinitely. How’s that for “being on top of your game”?
Jeddah airport, you have been warned! – Yours, etc,
DENIS O’SHAUGHNESSY,
Kilbride,
Co Meath.