Key lands at Dublin Airport being put up for sale would be perfect for a third terminal, which will be needed.
That's according to Kevin Byrne, retired Air Corps Lieutenant-Colonel and Airport Safety & Security Auditor.
He was speaking as property owners, including brothers Ulick and Des McEvaddy, are selling a large Dublin Airport landbank.
It is raising questions over the future of the land, which is seen as critical for airport expansion.
Mr Byrne told The Pat Kenny Show this land was not bought at the time the second runway was considered.
"Between the two runways this 260 acres or so is just west of the Air Traffic Control system - the towers," he said.
"It's very useful - if you were going to do a textbook examination of an airport, you really would like the land in-between the runways.
"It's perfect for putting a lot of different things - including of course Terminal 3, should you have it.
"You can put all sorts of things associated with the airport such as car parks, hotels, maybe a logistics hub, a transport hub for light rail.
"It gives you option that you wouldn't otherwise have, but you have to own the land in the first place".
'T3 will be necessary'
Mr Byrne said Dublin Airport will eventually need a third terminal.
"In airline business we look nearly five years ahead - but in the airport infrastureutre, and in the long game as it were, we must look between 10, 12 and 15 years ahead," he said.
"I was predicating recently maybe if the expansion takes place at the rate of two million a year, and it's going that way I think, in 10 years we've got an extra 20 million people to cater for.
"We have to put them somewhere, and quite soon you run out of space.
"That's not something we want to consider, so a T3 will be necessary.
"Dublin Airport is a commercial engine - not just for Fingal, or Dublin county or the east side - it's a commercial engine in great respects for all of Ireland.
"We have to look at it in that term".
The Dublin Airport runway is seen from Terminal 2 in October 2010. Picture by: Arcaid Images / Alamy Stock PhotoMr Byrne said talk of growing regional airports outside of Dublin is a non-starter for foreign carriers.
"The demand of foreign airlines is to be at the capital," he said.
"The list of destinations served from Dublin more or less proves that.
"We've got the Hainan Airlines coming in from China now... we've got great commercial connections with Dubai, the Middle East generally, Turkey, not to mention all the routes for North America.
"So I think the future of our major airport is still in the location of Dublin, out in Collinstown," he added.
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