GROWTH at Dublin Airport cannot come at the expense of regional airports like Ireland West Airport (IWAK).
Senator Lisa Chambers, Fianna Fáil general election candidate in Mayo, expressed her concerns about comments made by Kenny Jacobs, CEO of the Dublin Airport Authority, during a radio interview, where he stated his ambition for Dublin Airport to grow to accommodate 50 million passengers, up from the current cap of 32 million.
While she acknowledged the importance of Dublin Airport’s success, Senator Chambers emphasised that such growth should not come at the expense of regional airports like Knock.
“I am concerned about the intended direction for Dublin Airport. While we absolutely want to see Dublin Airport thrive, we must ensure that this growth does not detract from the vital role of our regional airports,” said Senator Chambers.
“Currently, IWAK serves around 800,000 passengers, and they have aspirations to push that number to one million. To achieve this, we need adjustments to the regional airport funding cap of one million to ensure that IWAK is not restricted in its growth.”
She stressed the importance of a balanced approach to airport development in Ireland, saying: “We need to have a serious conversation about regional development and our regional airports to ensure that not all traffic is funnelled through Dublin Airport. We must question the benefit of concentrating so much traffic in Dublin – are these passengers simply transiting through, or are they even stopping off in Ireland?”
She also challenged the notion that all passengers wish to fly into and out of Dublin, referencing anecdotal evidence that indicates many travellers arrive in Dublin only to hop on a bus to other destinations, such as the Cliffs of Moher and various attractions in the west of Ireland.
To better understand consumer demand and inform future airport route planning, Senator Chambers called for a comprehensive study to assess where passengers want to fly into and how regional airports can better serve their needs.
“We must work collaboratively to support our regional airports, enabling them to thrive alongside Dublin Airport, so that every corner of Ireland can benefit from increased connectivity and tourism,” she stated.
