Dublin Airport Authority has hit back at criticism over its car parks being at full capacity for the summer, saying it refutes the view from Ryanair that it should just open up fields for extra parking.
The response from the governing authority of the capital's airport comes amid claims from Ryanair that the daa is "gaming the system" through "unjustified price increases" on its "already high airport charges at Dublin."
Ryanair alleged that claims from the daa that it needs a price increase to fix staffing shortages in its security operation are "false."
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"The Summer 2022 security queues issue at Dublin Airport was a direct result of DAA mismanagement and this self-inflicted failure is now being used by the DAA monopoly as an excuse for further unjustified price increases," Ryanair claimed.
Ryanair also questioned why the daa is seeking price increases to fund an "unnecessary four lane tunnel" under the taxiway to access the west apron, where Ryanair say a third terminal will most likely be located, however a daa spokesperson said a third terminal is not being supported.
"If daa does not support a third terminal, why is it wasting €200m building a tunnel under a taxiway to access the west apron where a 3rd terminal would be built?" Ryanair asked.
Ryanair also said the daa's claim that its car parks are “full” are an attempt to pressure the Competition Authority to wave through approval of its "monopoly grab" for the QuickPark car park.
"The DAA owns lots of land immediately surrounding Dublin Airport (such as the Dublin Airport Driving Range for example), which could be opened as a temporary car park at very short notice, releasing pressure on Dublin Airport car parking and more importantly keeping the cost of car parking low for customers," Ryanair said.
The final complaint Ryanair raised was that the daa is "already the beneficiary of the return of duty free sales on routes to/from the UK... The Regulator should be reducing Dublin Airport fees to take account of the booming sales and profitability the DAA monopoly now enjoys thanks to the restoration of duty free sales on UK flights," they said.
The budget airline is calling on the Competition Authority to "reject the daa's regulatory gaming" and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to instruct the daa to open its land bank around Dublin Airport for temporary car parking during the peak summer months, so that Irish consumers can park close to Dublin Airport.
Ryanair also asked Minister Ryan to instruct the daa to "withdraw its bid for the QuickPark car park" to encourage other investors to introduce "much needed competition for car parking availability at Dublin Airport."
In response, daa said it refutes the "simplistic view" that they can simply open up fields at Dublin Airport this summer and conjure up additional car park spaces.
"Car parking requires infrastructure which requires planning permission. We are running the 5th largest transatlantic hub airport in Europe, not a County Fair," they said.
The authority also added that daa's plans for the construction of a vehicle underpass in the middle of the airfield, is required to "improve access and safety on the airfield", allowing for the segregation of aircraft and vehicles, and the movement of vehicles to the West Apron, which is now restricted following the opening of the new North Runway.
It also said that it is "far from being a monopoly" and "does not set its own charges" as being a regulated business "unlike airlines who do set their own fares which have risen 30% in the past year."
"We offer ultra-low-cost charges at Dublin Airport, the lowest of any capital city airport in Europe, which are set to decrease by 30% presently. Hence why we are seeking a modest increase of a couple of euro to operate a resilient airport and reduce our maximum queue times even further to under 15 minutes by hiring even more security staff than the 800+ we currently employ.
"Many airlines have grown strongly at Dublin Airport over the past decade because of our ultra low-cost charges and strong passenger demand for air travel. We leave airlines, including a world class operator like Ryanair, to run their very profitable businesses while we continue to invest in vital strategic infrastructure to connect Ireland to the world," the statement added.
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