Ryanair has appealed to An Bord Pleanála against Fingal County Council's decision to approve plans by Aer Rianta for a new pier at Dublin Airport catering for low-cost airlines.
It claims the proposed Pier D, with an estimated price-tag of €70 million, would not be cost-effective because it would only provide a net increase of eight additional stands for aircraft.
"The average cost is €7.8 million per stand. It is therefore a 'high-cost' facility, contrary to the Government directive and does not enjoy the support of either of the two largest operators at Dublin Airport," Ryanair said.
The airline's submission to the appeals board also claims that the new pier cannot meet a directive from the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, that it should be operational by April of next year.
It also maintains that the location of Pier D, to the north of the airport's original terminal building, could prejudice the location of a second terminal currently being evaluated by the Government.
Ryanair's planning consultants, Tom Phillips and Associates, claim the pier would be remote from the existing main terminal, forcing passengers to walk at least 600 metres to its gates.
The Portmarnock Community Association has also appealed against the proposed pier, saying no further expansion should take place at Dublin Airport until there is a national plan for airport development.
Its submission claims that Aer Rianta's planning application is invalid because it should have been accompanied by an environmental impact statement and that, in any case, its impacts could not be mitigated.
The association is concerned about additional noise pollution from expansion of the airport and says Pier D is premature pending completion of a master plan.
