THE LOBBY group representing major airlines at Dublin airport has written to Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey to complain that the chief executive of the State-owned Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), Declan Collier, has repeatedly “refused” to meet it to discuss the planned 41 per cent increase in passenger charges.

The Dublin Airport Consultation Committee (DACC), whose members include Aer Lingus and Ryanair, also requested that Mr Dempsey direct Mr Collier to attend a meeting with airport users today at CityJet’s offices in Swords.

The letter, which has been seen by The Irish Times, was signed by CityJet chief executive Geoffrey O'Byrne White, and sent to the Minister on December 18th.

“Mr Collier has refused to accept any of our invitations, yet has found the time in recent weeks to travel to Kuala Lumpur and Dubai, while also devoting time to his position on the board of AIB,” Mr O’Byrne White said.

He added that it was “an outrage that Mr Collier should be permitted to avoid consultation meetings with his customers while he presides over an unprecedented collapse in traffic at Dublin airport”.

DACC members are angry at the planned 41 per cent increase in airport charges, announced recently by the Commission for Aviation Regulation, that is due to be implemented when Terminal 2 opens late next year.

This increase comes at a time when traffic at Dublin airport has declined by about 13 per cent this year.

A spokesman for the DAA said it consulted annually with airport users, a process led by Dublin airport director Bob Hilliard.

The spokesman said the DACC was invited to a meeting on December 15th relating to airport charges for 2010.

“The members of the DACC decided not to attend this meeting,” he said. “The DAA envisages further consultation meetings in January.”

The DAA spokesman said Mr Collier would not attend the meeting today proposed by the DACC. No comment was available from the Department of Transport.