The only solution to Dublin Airport’s passenger cap is building a third terminal, a leading aviation entrepreneur has said.

Ulick McEvaddy said lifting the passenger cap would be ignoring the real issue – pressures on the M1 motorway.

It comes as Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary told an Oireachtas committee earlier that he was “no great fan” of Transport Minister Eamon Ryan and offered him some political advice.

“There will be votes for him in being seen to take action to lift the cap and keep airfares down and traffic and jobs growth up at Dublin Airport,” he said.

On The Hard Shoulder, Mr McEvaddy said a third terminal is the only solution.

“They can lift the cap to 40 million, but they still have to build Terminal 3 to resolve the issues and they've known that since 2006,” he said.

“The reason the cap is there is because of the pressure on the M1 motorway. In our plan for Terminal 3, we're bringing the motorway off the M2.

“So, it'll be a completely new face for Dublin Airport and a completely new access route which is vital, otherwise the airport will stagnate for the next 20 years.”

Project cost

Mr McEvaddy, who wishes to build the third terminal on land he owns west of Dublin Airport, said it would be an expensive but necessary project.

“It will cost € 2 billion, we estimate, to build the motorway in and the terminal and it will take three to five years to do it, depending on how long the planning process takes,” he said.

“Our plans also actually comply with the master plan for Dublin Airport, which was produced by Fingal County Council in 2006.”

Concept plans for a third terminal at Dublin Airport. Image: D. A. Terminal 3 Ltd

Mr McEvaddy said Ireland also has an opportunity for innovating sustainable aviation fuel.

“We could be the preeminent leader in sustainable aviation fuel in Ireland because we have wind offshore in abundance, which will produce the hydrogen and the feedstock is here already to make sustainable aviation fuel", he said.

“So, we could become the preeminent hub in Europe for sustainable aviation fuel, where all the heavies will come in for transatlantic flight and pick up the sustainable aviation fuel.

“It's a no-brainer for those who think about it."

Dublin Airport is currently capped at 32 million passengers annually.

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Main image: An aerial view of Dublin Airport from the perspective of a Boeing 737. Image: Mint Photography / Stockimo / Alamy Stock Photo