There will be room on a bus for every passenger travelling to and from Dublin Airport by the end of 2025, the airport’s operator DAA has promised. The pledge follows the successful conclusion of a tendering process for additional bus stops.
New permits have been issued to allow bus operators to pick up and drop off outside the airport’s two terminals with DAA securing commitments from operators that they will deliver a seat for every passenger from 2024 onwards, with more than 35 million bus seats expected to be available by 2025.
Operators have also committed to increase capacity further in subsequent years if demand requires.
The enhanced services will kick in from next month with over 1,000 buses set to depart from Dublin Airport daily this year compared with around 900 last year. The number will climb to 1,200 per day in 2025, subject to operator roll-out.
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The DAA’s chief commercial and development officer Vincent Harrison said the airport was already the largest bus interchange in Ireland, with services to all 32 counties on the island.
He pointed to figures from the National Transport Authority (NTA) suggesting the number of car journeys to Dublin Airport fell between 2019 and 2023 with “the continued focus on improving attractive public transport links to the airport one of the reasons for that”.
The retendering process will see the airport continue its relationship with scheduled operators including Dublin Express, Aircoach, Citylink, Wexford Bus, Bus Éireann, Expressway and Flightlink, as well as services supported by the NTA, who will occupy designated bus stops across the campus from March 2024 onwards.
The Zone 16 Coach Park at Dublin Airport will continue to cater for scheduled operators, JJ Kavanagh, Dublin Coach, Airport Hopper, John McGinley and M4 Direct. At present about one third of departing passengers and a similar percentage of the 19,900 people working at Dublin Airport travel to the campus by bus.
The enhanced bus services come as the daa awaits a decision on a planning application to Fingal County Council for an improved Ground Transportation Centre.
The new centre, to be located between the airport’s two terminals and close to the space reserved at the airport for a future metro stop, will include toilets, retail outlets, seating and sheltered waiting areas.
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