Vol. 464 No. 3
27 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the further consideration, if any, that is being given to the proposal from Ryanair for the establishment of a second commercial airport at Baldonnel, County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8140/96]
As I said in response to Questions Nos. 25, 48, 53 and 111 on 31 January 1996, I considered very carefully the proposal for adopting Baldonnel military aerodrome as a second commercial airport for Dublin. The conclusion I reached, having consulted my Cabinet colleagues, was that the project would not be in the interests of the aviation sector and the economy generally.
I made an extensive public statement on this issue on 24 January 1996 and I have arranged for a copy of that statement to be placed in the Dáil Library for the convenience of Deputies. In summary. I pointed out that Dublin airport has the capacity to cater for traffic growth for the foreseeable future; independent studies have shown that Aer Rianta's cost base is not excessive and that its landing charges are competitive; and two airports for Dublin would duplicate infrastructure and facilities leading to increased costs as economies of scale would be lost. Airlines would be reluctant to transfer to a secondary location because of the loss of hubbing opportunities and integrated services that such a move would entail. The coming on stream of the Baldonnel proposal would coincide with the planned abolition of the intra-EC duty free sales from 1999 which will have adverse implications for all airports and airlines. In other words, the economics of Baldonnel would be problematic at the outset.
A commercial airport at Baldonnel would impact not only on Dublin airport but on the catchment areas of Galway, Shannon, Cork and Waterford airports putting further pressure on some of these airports to survive or grow.
The Baldonnel project would not come on stream until the end of the century; in the meantime the Dublin airport development programme cannot be put on hold. It would make no sense to enhance capacity at Dublin Airport and at the same time provide capacity at another location.
Baldonnel aerodrome will continue to be used by the Air Corps. The Department of Defence is looking at the possible use of the facilities at Baldonnel for private executive air travel.
In view of the foregoing, I do not envisage giving the question of Baldonnel as a second commercial airport for Dublin any further consideration.
