The Future of Dublin Airport

Although the aviation industry is being hit hard by the ongoing financial chaos that has engulfed the planet, the Irish Government and Dublin Airport Authority have set dramatic plans in motion to completely transform the Airport into the world-class facility the city (and for that matter) the country deserves. As well as an additional Terminal building being added to the Airport, a radical overhaul of public transport to and from the Terminals is on the cards as well as a new runway (which will allow for up to 50 million people to take off and land from the airfield every year). The Irish economy is also set to benefit from a €4 billion ‘Airport City’, which will see new international business ventures, retail parks and leisure facilities pump a projected €1 billion per annum back into the government’s coffers.

Picture by Merrionsq

Here’s all you need to know about the exciting developments that are already underway at the Airport and what new changes can be expected over the next few years.

Terminal Two

It was only in August 2006 when the Dublin Airport Authority revealed plans to the public for a second terminal to be built at the Airport – to be situated between the existing terminal building and the cargo terminal. Those that have been to the Airport lately will see that construction is well underway, with the completion of the project expected in April 2010. With a projected cost of €600 million (inclusive of the new Pier E building and new road network in and around the Airport), Terminal 2 will bring an extra 15 million passengers through the doors every year, thus boosting the Airport’s overall passenger turnover to an impressive 35 million people.

Features of the new terminal include:

* Dedicated roads to the terminal building at both departures and arrivals.
* State-of-the-art check-in and departures hall, connected by a bridge that runs throughout the centre of the building.
* 58 check-in desks.
* Increased car hire facilities.
* Large security area, designed to get as many people through the gates with minimal waiting.
* 9,000m² of retail space and catering outlets. Revenue from these outlets will go towards keeping passenger charges at the Airport to a minimum.
* Facilities to clear US customs before departure for transatlantic passengers.

Although the building of a new Terminal at Dublin Airport will create jobs and boost the economy, objections to the plans have been aplenty.

Firstly, it has been pointed out that the location of T2 would mean the capacity of T1 would have to be reduced because airbridges and departure gates would have to be removed from Pier C, to free-up space for aircraft stands at T2. Many have argued that T2 should have been built between the existing runway and proposed parallel runway. If the DAA had taken this route and bowed to critics; this would allow for T2 to be extended in the future, instead of building a third terminal (which has already been blueprinted for the future).

Aside from critics arguing over the best way to design the terminal, the loudest protestations have come from Ireland’s largest carrier Ryanair; everyone’s favorite (or least favorite) no-frills airline. They have argued that T2 should be built as a low-cost facility instead of a “gold-plated waste of €609 million”, which would “lead to increased Airport charges at the Airport.” Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary and co. cheekily offered to build T2 out of their own pocket, however, the Irish government pressed ahead with original plans, deciding the DAA would build T2, ensuring that the “no-frills” experience would exist only within the confines of a Ryanair cabin.

Image by Martin O'Connell

Dublin Airport City

In April 2008, the DAA announced plans for another ambitious development on top of the projects happening within the Airport itself, in the form of a €4 billion ‘Airport City’. The ‘city’ will see all manner of new buildings and office space spring up, comprising the retail and leisure sectors built onto a 350 acre site to the east of Dublin Airport. Although construction is not due to be completed until 2028, the government has been quick to point out the benefits of this landmark venture, which include:

* An increase of €1 billion per annum into the Irish economy.
* The creation of a world-class economic zone for international business headquarters, which will encourage the next generation of foreign investment into Ireland.
* Building designs set to the highest environmental standards.
* The ability for visitors and office workers to go from their office desk to the Airport check-in desk within 6 minutes.
* Long term investment from Dublin Airport City into Dublin Airport itself.

New Runway

Following approval by Fingal County Council in April 2006 it was announced that Dublin Airport was also to receive a new runway. The runway; measuring 3110m will be built parallel to the existing runway, with the DAA claiming that the runway “must be operational by 2012 to ensure that the airfield at Dublin Airport continues to operate effectively and that airline operations are not subjected to growing delays on arrival and departure.”

The new runway will also cater for the expansion in passenger numbers following the completion of the new T2 and the provisional plans for T3 should they come to fruition, with the DAA claiming that the long-term capacity of the Airport will grow to 50 million passengers a year.

Transport 21

The Transport 21 plan will see an estimated €34 billion lavished on improving and expanding the nation’s transport network. These plans extend to increased accessibility to and from Dublin Airport, perhaps most notably in the form of an underground metro line running from the city centre right to the Airport – a worthwhile and much needed alternative to the bus which is so often caught up in traffic en-route to Connolly Street station and those who aren’t afforded the obvious benefits associated with car hire.

The new line (which will be called Metro North) will also connect with other modes of public transport including the DART and the LUAS tram system at St. Stephen’s Green and other parts of the city, before taking in the following stops en-route to the Airport:

* O’Connell Bridge
* Parnell Square
* Mater
* Drumcondra Station
* Dublin University
* Swords (after the Airport, where many Airport workers live)

Journey time between St. Stephen’s Green and Dublin Airport will be an impressive 18 minutes, stopping at a centrally located station between terminals one and two, with building work due to begin in 2010.

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Christmas Tree Lights – O’Connell Street 2008

Family Activities in the Shannon Region

Gone are the days when a family vacation meant a day spent in a plastic amusement park, standing in hour long lines, baking under the sun and trying to convince children who have consumed twice their body weight in sugary treats that yes, they actually do have to go to bed. Now families can travel to places like the Shannon region, where their children can explore green fields and forests, play on the beaches, swim in the ocean and experience a whole new culture. The Shannon region, in return, offers a wide variety of activities certain to appeal to families of all sizes and ages, so make it a stop on your trip to Ireland, and you won’t be disappointed.

The Shannon region is widely regarded as an ideal escape for families with children. Because the Shannon region features a wealth of natural outdoor retreats, there is plenty of space for children to simply run off excess energy, leaving them worn out and ready to sleep all night. The beaches are of particular renown; families can relax on the shores, looking for treasures in the sand, or they can try their hand at snorkelling or swimming in the sea. There are also beautiful lakes and rivers, giving families the chance to try their hand at fishing or boating.

Other popular family attractions in the Shannon region include folk and heritage parks to explore that entertain and educate at the same time, as well as petting farms where children can see farm life up close, and water worlds where they can enjoy pools and slides. Families will have the chance to book a dolphin watching tour, or to take walking tours through the woods and explore nature. Horseback riding is always popular, as is the chance to explore the many castles in the region. Older children may also have fun touring the museums, trying a bicycle tour . . . no matter what families decide to do, the Shannon region will have plenty to keep everybody busy.

RSS Hugger

Link to RSS Hugger which is an excellent RSS site.

Aer Lingus Strike

Aer Lingus Logo

[Digg] The plans by Aer Lingus to cut costs across the board within the company have unsurprisingly resulted in widespread unrest. In a statement in early October the board said it had decided to proceed with a cost cutting plan “to deliver the substantial savings which are necessary to ensure the company’s long-term viability as an independent airline.” At the time the board did not publish details on the planned cost cuttings which shave €74 million off the operating costs of the airline.

“The board has agreed the need for this fundamental change in the cost base to ensure that the company remains competitive and is appropriately positioned to take advantage of future growth opportunities,” – Aer Lingus – 3 October 2008

The airline had proposed the outsourcing of about 1,500 jobs from its ground operations in Dublin, Cork and Shannon along with a raft of other savings including hiring crew from North America for transatlantic flights and closing international staff bases.

Unsurprisingly the unions (Impact & SIPTU) strongly opposed such draconian methods and accused Aer Lingus of participating in a race to the bottom. The plans to employ international cabin crew on cheaper contracts were compared to the Irish Ferries case of a number of years ago. SIPTU, which represents around 1,700 staff at the airline, stated that its members were furious at the proposals. The union said it will co-operate with a process involving the Labour Relations Commission aimed at producing alternatives. However, it is also to ballot for all-out industrial action.

“Nobody in the company will emerge unscathed from this exercise. Even those who keep their jobs will have to sign up to new contracts, ‘a merit and performance based culture’ and a pay freeze until the end of 2009. The company has also told us that it will continue to seek further savings so that surviving staff face the prospect of further reductions in pay and conditions, not to mention redundancy,” SIPTU – 6 October 2008

Aer Lingus by FotoJunkie

Aer Lingus said it would offer a voluntary severance or early retirement package, and those who do not take redundancy may transfer to a new service provider. Meanwhile the Unions don’t really seem to understand that nobody will sacked:

“SIPTU has agreed to contact the other social partners and the relevant Government Departments to find alternative measures to the mass sacking of over 1,300 SIPTU members” SIPTU.ie 6 November 2008

Subsequent talks between Aer Lingus and SIPTU broke down at the Labour Relations Commission during late October. Both sides were quick to apportion blame with SIPTU stating that “the company withdrew from the process because it claimed that it could not see any viable alternatives to its own outsourcing agenda.” Meanwhile Aer Lingus stated: “following four weeks of discussions, it is frankly disappointing that SIPTU has failed to engage in any meaningful way to produce alternative proposals to meet this imperative.”

SIPTU National Industrial Secretary Gerry McCormack strongly rejected claims by management that the Union had failed to engage in meaningful discussions at the Labour Relations Commission.

“We would also question how much they would save from outsourcing. Over the past decade our members have contributed massive cost savings. Productivity levels have increased 340 per cent, staff cost ratios to passengers have improved by 23 per cent and our members are up to 65 per cent more productive than some of the ground operations competitors to whom the company is considering outsourcing the work.” Gerry McCormak – 30 October 2008

Dermot Mannion stated in a webcast to staff on 7 November 2008 that the planned job cuts through out-sourcing, voluntary redundancy or early retirement were unstoppable. Mr Mannion stated that the financial position of the airline had deteriorated significantly over recent months and while fuel prices had improved, consumer demand had worsened significantly. Aer Lingus were facing operating losses for 2008 and had forecasted significant operating loses going forward.

An article in the Irish Independent, dated 13 February 2007, claimed that non-skilled Aer Lingus staff working at Dublin Airport are earning up to €110,000 a year according to a confidential internal company document. It also claimed that employees currently move up the pay scales too quickly to the point where there are now more supervisors than people to be supervised in certain areas of the operation. In some divisions of the company, an average Aer Lingus employee takes up to 20 days sick leave per year. If these figures are true, (SIPTU claim they are unconfirmed) it is not surprising that steps are being taken to outsource jobs.

“SIPTU wrote to Aer Lingus management on foot of this report seeking confirmation of the figure of €110,000” – SIPTU – 19 February 2007

In the last number of days, SIPTU have served Aer Lingus with strike notice which would result in the full withdrawal of labour from November 24th if the airline pressed ahead with the cost cutting plans. SIPTU members had voted by an “overwhelming majority” to take strike action if the company unilaterally attempts to introduce the planed job outsourcing.

The National Implementation Body (NIB) is set to hold talks this morning between management and unions at Aer Lingus in an effort to break the deadlock. Both sides accepted invitations to talks with the NIB which is the main troubleshooting body in Ireland. While the door is open to last minute negotiations, the damage that Aer Lingus is doing to both the tourism industry in Ireland and the trust among its customers cannot be quantified. Any strike by Aer Lingus will affect everything from companies offering car rental at Dublin Airport to hotels and everything else.

“We would be hopeful that common and commercial sense would prevail and the issues would be resolved prior to any strike taking place.” Gary Curtin – Atlas Car Hire Ireland

This author has a flight booked with Aer Lingus on December 17th to catch an onward long haul connection. Unfortunately my flight with Aer Lingus and subsequent onward connection are not part of the same ticket. Aer Lingus takes the position that they are only responsible for getting me to their destination which is reasonable, but they are unable to give me any other information at this time about what happens if the airline goes out on strike.

I have taken the insurance policy of booking a Ryaniar flight to Beavais where I’ll have to overnight in Paris and travel to Charles de Gaulle to catch my connection. To date Aer Lingus have told me:

“…at the moment our schedule is due to operate as normal and normal terms and conditions apply. If you wish to cancel a booking you will have to contact a member of our Web Helpdesk Team on 00353 (0)818 365 044. They are available from 08.00 – 20.00 daily. You will be entitled to claim back the taxes from the ticket only minus a refund fee of Eur20.00 from the taxes.” – Aer Lingus Help Desk – 11 November 2008

Obviously this is little or no help to me or the thousands of others who no face uncertainty over their holiday plans. I for one will not be booking with Aer Lingus again and I can only presume there will be plenty of other people out there thinking the same way.

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Geansai Gorm

[Digg]While this is a sidetrack for Info Ireland, I thought it might make interesting reading. Right now there is a SEO competition going on within the Irish SEO community to see who can rank for the term ‘Geansai Gorm‘ (meaning blue jumper) by December 1st.

Criteria:

* Entries open to all Irish individuals and Irish businesses.
* Search is to be performed on google.ie. Without Pages From Ireland selected, with personalisation off and from an Irish IP address.
* The domain to rank must be a new domain. Must not contain the keywords in the domain name at all and no ccTLD domains are to be used.
* Only want the homepage to rank, not other non-useful pages.
* 301 redirects are not permitted.
* Keywords as gaeilge instead of english but copy can be in English

Right now the sites are all very generic and very unimaginative with the current leader writing about ‘I can has Geansai Gorm’ but the site is ranking number 1 so it is hard to argue:

My god even my cat is starting to help out with the competition. Here you can see him sporting a lovely Pur.. er .. Gorm jumper. He’s really quite partial to a nap on a nice Geansai Gorm so if you ever feel the need for a nap during the day there’s nothing quite like a lovely blue jumper to snuggle up into. (At least thats what the cat tells me)

Geansai Gorm Rankings

By far the most interesting site I have read to date is Asgaelige.com. Unfortunately this site ranks nowhere for the term Geansai Gorm to date, but their approach, Geansai Gorm is a mythical Bungee Jumper from the Arran Islands is at least interesting.

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Irish Car Rentals drops Over 75s Ban

Christian Brother Anthony White has won a settlement from Irish Car Rentals forcing the removal of the additional insurance charges on elderly drivers. The settlement has been warmly welcomed by both the Equality Tribunal and Age Action.

Brother White was forced to pay an ‘age surcharge’ of €25 per day when he picked his car up in 2006, an increase of 33% of the normal rental cost. It was also the policy of Irish Car Rentals to not rent to drivers over the age of 75, which would mean Brother White would not have been able to rent a car on his next visit to Ireland.

“Brother White, who had held a Heavy Vehicle Licence in Australia for over 50 years, objected and raised the issue firstly with the hire company, Irish Car Rentals Limited, and then with the Equality Authority.” – Irish Times

Following this development, Irish Car Rentals has abolished the surcharge placed on older drivers and the ban on renting to drivers over the age of 75. In place of these measures, Irish Car Rentals has introduced a safety assessment form which takes into account the particulars of each driver in terms of health, existing insurance coverage and driving experience.

“The use of lower and upper age limits to govern access to insurance products and financial and other services is a widespread problem. Age limits exclude people without any consideration of their individual circumstances. This settlement represents another step in eradicating the exclusion of older people by means of age limits. All car hire companies should urgently review their current policies and practices and remove any remaining age limits to ensure that they comply with the Equal Status Acts”.” – Niall Crowley, Equality Authority

Age Action commented that the case highlighted the unfair nature of a blanket ban on drivers over 75.

“It is unacceptable that a person who can legally drive their own car in Ireland or is legally allowed to drive in their own country should be refused rental of a vehicle based on their age, or should face an increased charge as a result of their age,” Eamon Timmins, Age Action

It still waits to be seen how the other car rental companies react but I think it is safe to say that change is on the cards for most if not all car rental companies and it won’t be long before the Car Rental Council comments.

Related Stories
- Elderly driver forces car hire firm to change ageist policies
- Car-hire company drops over-75s ban

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Blog Review

Here at Info Ireland we are always open to giving links to sites that we find interesting or to those who post guest posts or relevant comments. If you are interested in writing a review of Info Ireland with a link to this blog, we will make sure to link back to your site / blog.

Simply write a review (good or bad) about this blog and leave a comment with the information and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.