Despite the Airport having a record year, Dublin Airport Authortity (DAA) chief executive Kevin Toland has said that two key constraints on the airport's planned new runway could make things "horrific" and a "huge disaster" if implemented.
Speaking to the Institute of International and European Affairs, Toland commented that the constraints will restrict the number of flights between 11pm and 7am, as well as prohibiting use of the new runway before 7am, reports Newstalk.com. Such a measure would reduce the number of flights from 100 to 65 during Dublin Airport's busiest period of 5:30am to 7am.
He stated that the annual number of passengers would fall by three million almost immediately and that over the next 20 years it would account for a loss of approximately 80 million passengers, adding that airfares and connectivity from Dublin would likely rise and fall respectively. The DAA are hopeful that a new environmental impact study, which is to be submitted over the next few months, will result in the constraints ultimately being removed.
"That's been one of the key factors that has let us develop Dublin Airport so well over the past couple of years – building the long-haul business, which tends to come in early in the morning through to mid-morning. If you look at our position today, there are absolutely no restrictions on our business and nor should there be," said Toland.
