Proposal for new city air terminal

THE proposal to build a new privately owned £50 million terminal complex at Dublin Airport "should and must receive careful consideration," according to the Minister for Transport, Mr Lowry.

Aer Rianta said it would study the "unusual" proposal closely but "at first sight it seems to conflict" with Dublin Airport's long term development plans.

Huntstown Air Park, which is controlled by brothers Des and Ulick McEvaddy, has lodged an ambitious plan with Fingal County Council to build a new terminal and other facilities on 52 acres of land adjacent to the airport's north west perimeter.

The McEvaddy brothers developed the £14 million Malahide Marina and are shareholders in the US aircraft leasing company Omega Air.

The developers want to use the existing airfield runways and link them to their terminal with a new taxi way.

Aviation sources said the scheme was radical because normally a single company owns and operates all the passenger facilities at an airport. The plans include an executive jet terminal, a 150 bedroom hotel, an aircraft maintenance hanger, and three new car parks.

Mr Lowry said that officials in his department had "asked Aer Rianta for a quick response on the implications of the project as they see it".

He said the proposal had implications "not just from the point of view of the proper development of Dublin airport but from the broader interests of the aviation sector and the economy generally".

The independent airline, Ryanair, which had campaigned for a second Dublin airport at Baldonnel, has welcomed the proposal. Ryanair, which is highly critical of Aer Rianta landing charges, said the new terminal would provide "valuable competition and stimulate the market".

However, the proposal has been criticised by SIPTU and local Labour TD Sean Ryan. SIPTU's aviation secretary, Mr Paul O'Sullivan, described the plan as "a transparent attempt to siphon off money from 50 years of taxpayers' investment".