3 Million Use Dublin Airport in May as Work Continues on North Runway
Almost 3 million passengers travelled through Dublin Airport in May, a 4% increase over the same month last year and a new record for May. Passenger volumes to and from continental Europe also rose by 4% during the month, with more than 1.6 million passengers travelling to European destinations.
More than 884,000 passengers travelled to and from UK destinations in May, which was an increase of 2% when compared to last year. Transatlantic traffic to and from North America increased by 8% with 412,500 passengers travelling on this route sector in May.
Other international traffic, principally to the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific regions increased by 5% with almost 72,600 passengers travelling on these routes during May. Passenger numbers on domestic routes declined by 12% with 9,000 passengers travelling on domestic flights last month.
So far this year, more than 12.3 million passengers have travelled through Dublin Airport, a 7% increase compared to the first five months of last year. Dublin Airport has welcomed an additional 764,000 passengers between January and May. The number of passengers using Dublin Airport as a hub to connect to another destination has increased by 16% this year, with almost 660,000 passengers connecting through Dublin Airport in the first five months of this year.
EIB Funding
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed a €350m loan to daa to help fund upgrades at Dublin Airport. The 20-year loan will go towards the authority’s current investment programme, which aims to improve operations at the airport during peak times. It is the EIB’s biggest yet transport-related investment in Ireland.
According to a Barry O’Halloran exclusive report in the Irish Times, Dublin Airport is halting work on a €2 bn expansion following the Commission for Aviation Regulation’s proposals to cut the ceiling on the airport’s average passenger charge to €7.50 per head for 2020-2024 from €9.30 currently.
Dalton Philips, chief executive of the airport’s owner, daa, has told senior staff that the State company’s board is “standing down” work on expansion timed for 2020-2024, blaming the uncertainty created by the CAR. Mr Philips points out in a memo to senior colleagues that daa’s investment plans depend on charges staying close to €9.65 a head, its 2018 cap, for the next five years.
Meanwhile the daa released a video showing work progressing on the new North Runway. The construction team is now laying a granular sub-base, which is effectively a foundation for the new runway. Two layers of concrete will go on top of this aggregate sub-base to create the final runway.
About the Author
Mark Dwyer Mark is an airline pilot flying the Boeing 737 for a major European airline. In addition he is also a Type Rating Instructor, Type Rating Examiner and Base Training Captain on the B737. Outside of commercial flying Mark enjoys flying light aircraft from the smallest 3 Axis microlights up to heavier singles. He is also an instructor and EASA Examiner on single engines and a UK CAA Examiner. He flies the Chipmunk for the Irish Historic Flight Foundation (IHFF). Mark became the Chairman of the National Microlight Association of Ireland (NMAI) in 2013 and has overseen a massive growth in the organisation. In this role he has worked at local and national levels. In 2015, Mark won ‘Upcoming Aviation Professional Award’ at the Aviation Industry Awards sponsored by the IAA. Mark launched this website back in 2002 while always managing the website, he has also been Editor and Deputy Editor of FlyingInIreland Magazine from 2005 to 2015.
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