New Dublin Terminal
Ryanair Holdings PLC
01 November 2002
RYANAIR UNVEIL PLANS FOR A SECOND INDEPENDENT TERMINAL (T2) AT DUBLIN AIRPORT
At a press conference today at Dublin Airport, Ryanair unveiled its plans for an
independent second competing terminal at Dublin Airport. The proposed facility,
to be known as T2 will cost €114m to develop and can handle up to 10 million
passengers per annum, almost doubling the capacity of Dublin Airport, without
any cost to the taxpayer. Ryanair's plans also allow for the development of two
multi-storey short-term carparks which will end the current policy of forcing
airport users to park in remote long-term carparks, and two new international
hotels, bringing much needed choice, competition and lower prices for hotel
accommodation at Dublin Airport.
The new T2 which has been designed by leading architects de Blacam & Meagher,
contains the following features;
• it will provide 36 new terminal served stands (compared with the current
30 in the three piers at Dublin Airport),
• at a cost of €114m, the facility is significantly cheaper than the
combined €469m* recently spent by Aer Rianta on extending the existing
terminal and constructing the inefficient Pier C,
• two multi-storey carparks will provide short-term carparking capacity for
up to 10,000 cars (compared to the 2,700 car capacity of Aer Rianta's
existing carpark) and will result in short-term carparking rates being
reduced from the current €20 to €10 per day, thereby saving consumers over
€100m over a five year period,
• two international hotels will be developed and will provide both a three
star (Jurys Inn) type accommodation, as well as a four star facility,
• the terminal itself is designed to substantially reduce passenger walking
distances, which are a major drawback of the existing Aer Rianta facilities,
• T2 restores architectural order to the current chaos at Dublin Airport,
• T2 places the Desmond Fitzgerald designed old central terminal building
(CTB) as the focal point of Dublin Airport,
Commenting today at the press conference, John Meagher, of de Blacam & Meagher
Architects said;
'Just as the original central terminal building was a significant exercise
in the 'International Style', so is Terminal 2, utterly modern, in the
materials of steel and glass, sympathetically sited adjacent to the original
central terminal building, which now finds an appropriate role as the
principle link between Terminal 2 and the Aer Rianta terminal building.
'Terminal 2 is designed to be easy and agreeable to use and open to its
surroundings. Its simple plan and the structural arrangement of roof shells,
give orientation to arriving and departing passengers, and are expressive of
the buildings function as a gateway to the skys.
'Terminal 2 by virtue of its position, serves to frame the old central
terminal building, renewing the original axial landscape unobstructed, that
terminates in its landside concave face.'
* As per Aer Rianta accounts
Ryanair has submitted a detailed design proposal (including plans and financing)
for this building to the Minister for Transport, Mr Seamus Brennan TD. The
airline has confirmed that the facility can be made available by 2004, if the
Government give the go ahead for tenders to proceed by the end of 2002.
Ryanair's submission confirms that whilst it is prepared to build and fund this
facility, it has no particular interest in either owning, developing or
operating it.
This new T2 facility has been reviewed and approved by over ten international
airport operators, all of whom have confirmed that they would be willing to
build and operate this facility and make it available to all airlines at Dublin
Airport as a low cost, quick turnaround terminal building. Ryanair have also
confirmed to Minister Brennan that should the Government proceed with this
development then Ryanair will commit to doubling the number of aircraft based in
Dublin (from 10 to 20), to more than doubling the passenger numbers Ryanair
delivers at Dublin Airport (from 4 to 8 million passengers) which would add over
3 million visitors per annum to Irish tourism and the Irish economy.
From research prepared by University College Dublin, it is estimated that this
investment alone would result in the creation of 16,000 additional jobs both
directly at Dublin Airport and indirectly in Ireland's wider tourism industry.
Ryanair's proposals for this second terminal have received the support of other
existing airport users at Dublin including Aer Lingus, FLS Aerospace (on whose
land the facility will be developed), and also Jurys Doyle Hotels plc and the
O'Callaghan Group Hotels. Since these plans will result in better facilities,
lower prices, cheaper more available carparking and more hotel accommodation, we
call on the Irish Government to implement these plans as a matter of urgency.
Ryanair has asked the Government to allow the McEvaddy brothers to develop a
third competing terminal development on the Hunstown lands at Dublin Airport and
also to permit the construction of a fourth terminal in due course. Ryanair
believes that only competition can improve services and reduce costs for
consumers. The Government should promote and heighten competition by supporting
the development of not just a second, but also third and fourth competing
terminals at Dublin Airport.
Commenting on the Ryanair submissions today, the Chief Executive, Michael
O'Leary said:
'Should the Government proceed with the development of competing terminals
at Dublin Airport, I believe it would be as significant a revolution in
Irish tourism as the set up of Ryanair was in the mid 1980's. The only thing
holding back Irish tourism in recent years has been high access costs, and
the third world facilities that have been developed by the Aer Rianta
monopoly. It is wrong that Irish citizens should be obliged to park their
cars at rapacious rates miles away from the terminal building, or that
visitors to Ireland should have to endure the long walks, huge security
queues, and inordinate delays in waiting for their luggage just for the
privilege of entering Ireland through one of the worst terminal buildings in
Europe.
'The only way to rectify this disaster (and restore growth to Irish tourism)
is for the Government to introduce competition for the provision of terminal
facilities and we hope the Minister will move quickly to permit Terminal 2
and the McEvaddy terminal to proceed as a matter of urgency.
'The Terminal 2 facility as designed by Ryanair and de Blacam & Meagher will
bring Dublin Airport and Irish tourism into the 21st Century. If approved
Ryanair will respond with the largest single investment in Irish tourism by
placing up to 20 new 737-800 series aircraft here in Dublin (at a cost of
over $1bn), and opening up a wide range of new low fare routes between
Ireland and Continental Europe and creating upwards of 16,000 new jobs in
the Irish economy.
' Air access to Ireland, and Irish tourism can no longer afford to be held
back by the high prices and inadequate facilities of this semi-state
monopoly and its few remaining supporters who seek to preserve the status
quo even when it is delivering a dreadful service at extortionate prices to
citizens of and visitors to this country.
'In the last five years, Ryanair has grown from 4 to 15 million passengers
per annum. We have opened up 50 new routes and developed bases in Glasgow,
Brussels, Frankfurt and Milan. Ireland has lost out on all this growth
because of a failed policy of protecting and featherbedding an inefficient
high cost airport monopoly. As recently as last month the Aer Rianta
monopoly again turned down Ryanair's offer to place new aircraft in Dublin,
open up new low fare routes and deliver 2 million much needed visitors for
Irish tourism. Competition works, monopolies don't, and semi-state
monopolies such as Aer Rianta are the most destructive of all.
'Ryanair have been approached by over 15 interested parties, all of them
keen to join with us in developing and running Terminal 2, and the challenge
to the Minister and the Government is to move quickly to award the contract
for its construction without delay. Terminal 2 can be operational by 2004,
but only if the Government allow the development to proceed by the end of
the current year'.
Ends.
1st November, 2002
For further information
please contact: Michael O'Leary, Ryanair,
Tel. 01-8121212
Pauline McAlester, Murray Consultants, Tel. 01-4980300
www.ryanair.com
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