BY ALL accounts, David Dilger is on good terms with Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary. Business is business though and O’Leary aimed both barrels at Dilger on Monday following the former Greencore boss’s appointment as chairman of the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA).

“The fact that Mr Dilger was a participant in the near bankrupting of Bank of Ireland necessitating its bailout by the Government makes him one of the golden circle . . . who should be unfit to be chairman of a semi-State company, even one as badly run as the DAA airport monopoly,” O’Leary said.

Ryanair is the DAA’s biggest customer and a fierce critic of the airport manager, which also has responsibility for Cork and Shannon airports.

It was, no doubt, water off a duck’s back to Dilger who developed a thick skin at Greencore, where he regularly took flak from bolshie farmers and sugar beet growers.

His appointment by Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey was interesting, given that Dilger took the Government to court over the share Greencore should receive from the EU’s compensation fund for the closure of Irish Sugar a few years back.

In 2006, then Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan had wanted to give €47 million to farmers and beet growers.

Dilger said they were only entitled to €14 million, held his ground and won his case via the High Court. At the time, Dilger said he was “unapologetic” about pursuing the money.

Aviation is in Dilger’s blood. His father John worked for Aer Lingus and Air France and served for a number of years with the Shannon Free Airport Development Company, latterly as aviation and publicity development manager. He was well respected in the Shannon region for his work.

Dilger faces a tough task with the DAA. Passenger numbers have fallen sharply at Dublin airport this year as a result of the recession. How will it fill the new Terminal Two next year?

DAA is also heavily indebted and needs a positive review of airport charges from the regulator later this year to assuage concerns over its ability to repay what it owes.

Plans to cut jobs and restructure working practices at Dublin airport could yet lead to industrial action from staff.

All that for a reputed €17,000 chairman’s fee.

It hardly seems worth the hassle.