Plans to extend Terminal 1 at Dublin Airport can reduce the pressure in the short term – but a third terminal will eventually be needed, according to Eoghan Corry.
He was speaking as airport operator DAA considers plans for a €265m extension to the northern section of the airport.
The proposed development could accommodate up to four million extra passengers every year as well as extra flights and routes.
It would see the construction of a new building, accessed by a sky-bridge walkway.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Air & Travel magazine Editor Eoghan Corry said the plans would see about six new gates added to the terminal.
He said the plan will reduce some of the pressure on the terminal – but a bigger development is needed in the long term.
“At some stage, they are going to have to sit down and think of a third terminal,” he said.
Terminal 1
He said capacity in the terminals is “seriously under pressure”.
“We have a second runway which took a long time to put in place,” he said.
“It is underused but there’s no doubt we’re going to grow – in the aviation business, if you stand still, you’re going backwards.
“They need to plan for this four-and-a-half or five million extra passengers just to effectively stand still and keep Ireland functioning economically.
“So, they really have to look at their terminal capacity because that is seriously under pressure.”
Dublin Airport
Mr Corry said the airport’s runway capacity is “basically where we need to be for the next 20 years or so” but the terminals will need to be extended.
He noted that it cost just €22m to build a satellite terminal with five extra gates in 2016 – but this new development is “going to cost a lot more”.
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