DAA said its lounges in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 were “consistently full” last year and passengers were regularly being turned away due to demand. Photo: John Mulligan
Dublin Airport operator DAA has hit back at Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary after he claimed passengers were being asked to pay for lounges and air bridges they “don’t want”, accusing the airline of spreading “misleading numbers and false claims”.
In its response issued after Mr O’Leary’s press conference yesterday, DAA said Ryanair’s criticism of its €5.6bn expansion plans for Dublin Airport was “littered with misleading numbers and false claims”. DAA said Michael O’Leary “might need a new calculator”.
The airport operator disputed Ryanair’s claims that its proposed infrastructure projects would not support capacity growth, saying planned developments at Pier 5 and Pier 1 East would create room for an additional 10 million passengers a year.
DAA also defended plans to increase passenger charges at Dublin Airport after Mr O’Leary warned higher airport costs would eventually feed through into higher fares for travellers.
The operator said the maximum charge it is currently allowed to levy is €10.40 per passenger which it noted has remained unchanged for 15 years despite inflation rising by more than 20pc during that time, it noted.
DAA is seeking permission from the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) to increase average passenger charges to €13 between 2027 and 2031 to help fund future investment projects at the airport.
“The passenger charge increases proposed by DAA would still leave Dublin Airport positioned amongst the cheapest airports in Europe,” the spokesperson said.
The airport operator also rejected Mr O’Leary’s criticism of spending linked to biodiversity and environmental mitigation works, after Ryanair claimed DAA was planning to spend millions on “wildflowers”.
DAA said the spending related to mandatory habitat restoration and environmental mitigation measures required under Irish and EU planning legislation as the airport expands.
The operator also defended its investment in airport lounges after Mr O’Leary argued Ryanair passengers cared more about cheap fares and fast boarding than upgraded airport facilities.
“Seeing how busy our lounges are at Dublin Airport, we would suggest that Michael O’Leary may be a little out of touch with what passengers want from an airport,” DAA said.
DAA said its lounges in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 were “consistently full” last year and passengers were regularly being turned away due to demand.
The airport operator added that revenue generated from lounges and other ancillary services helps keep airline fees lower, describing such income as “vital” to funding future investment projects and airport operations.