Posts Tagged ‘Dublin Airport

25
Nov
08

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

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

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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12
Nov
08

Aer Lingus Strike

Aer Lingus Logo

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 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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09
Oct
08

Dublin Airport Information Map


View Larger Map

Information map showing the various services and departure gates at Dublin Airport. For more information on a particular item please click on the icon within the map.

09
Oct
08

Aer Lingus Plan to Save €74m

Controversy and Aer Lingus are never too far apart, particularly when it comes to cost saving practices and Unions. Aer Lingus have just announced plans to axe 1,500 jobs and plans to save €74 million annually. Details on the savings were not presented at the time of the announcement, but it is believed the company wants to shave €74million off current costs.

“[The cost reduction plan was]… a matter of urgency to deliver the substantial savings which are necessary to ensure the company’s long-term viability as an independent airline.” – Aer Lingus Board

Among the plans, Aer Lingus is set to outsource all ground staff at Dublin, Cork and Shannon Airports. Ground staffs include baggage handlers and catering staff and the move would see Aer Lingus virtually no longer directly employing ground staff in Ireland. Aer Lingus is also planning to outsource check-in staff, loaders and staff working in the cargo terminal. With regard to cabin crew, Aer Lingus proposes to close down its bases in Shannon Airport and London Heathrow Airport and in 2009 services to Boston, New York and San Francisco would be operated by cabin crew recruited in the US under revised terms and conditions. For staff remaining at Aer Lingus, a pay freeze would be introduced until the end of 2009 and new performance based contracts would be introduced.

“These proposed job losses… will effectively reduce Aer Lingus to a shell of its former self. Why should the people of the Midwest and indeed the whole western sea board have any confidence or loyalty in Aer Lingus when the company wants to shed its entire workforce who have for decades given loyal server to Aer Lingus” – Jan O’Sullivan – Limerick East Labour TD

Representatives from SIPTU, the biggest trade union within Aer Lingus met management on Wednesday (2nd October 2008) under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission and told the company they will oppose outsourcing of any part of the application. Taoiseach Brian Cowen said recently he hoped the industrial relations process would provide a forum to enable management and staff representatives discuss the issues and come up with solutions.

“The company also reiterated its intention to implement significant cost reductions across all of its operations. Following the board meeting, meetings will be arranged early next week at which the company will outline the specifics regarding their cost cutting proposals.” – SIPTU

It is widely understood that Aer Lingus informed SIPTU and the craft unions that it was forecasting a substantial loss during 2009 and that the forecasted revenue streams for Aer Lingus had deteriorated badly in recent months. Stockbrokers believe that Aer Lingus could lose up to €40million this year and up to €90 million during 2009.

“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

Gerry McCormack, National Industrial Secretary for SIPTU said the union will wait for further details on the cost cutting proposals, but the union will not accept mass layoffs by Aer Lingus.

It has now emerged that SIPTU sill analyse legislation introduced after the Irish Ferries controversy in their fight against layoffs at Aer Lingus. The legislation (Protection of Employment) came into force last year and allows an independent panel to consider whether redundancies as opposed to situations where existing workers are replace by lower paid staff. If this is found to be the case, the issue can be referred to the Labour Court. If the Labour Court finds that an exceptional collective redundancy situation exists but employees are dismissed in any event, it is open to the workers to claim unfair dismissal and possibly receive compensation of up to five years’ pay.

Under the legislation, a Union has to be in dispute with a company before it can seek to refer a case to the independent panel which would explain the decision by the union to ballot members immediately for all-out industrial action.

“The country is in recession and unemployment is rising. To export jobs during a recession is unacceptable, and we will fight any attempts to do that. That fight begins by talking with management.” – Christina Carney, Impact Union

Whatever the developments over the next two months, Aer Lingus is no stranger to strike actions and standing up to unions in recent times. Any proposed strike action will have devastating effects on the tourism economy in Ireland during this recession with hotels and car rentals at Dublin Airport service providers

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Related Stories
- Siptu may use new law to oppose job cuts at Aer Lingus
- Aer Lingus agrees cost-cuts ‘as matter of urgency’
- Aer Lingus to shed 1,300 in €100m savings plan
- SIPTU members to ballot on ‘Irish Ferries’ Mark II move by Aer Lingus management

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14
Aug
08

Weather and The Irish Tourist Industry

An article in the Irish Independent, Weather Rains on Tourism Industry states that extreme weather conditions experienced in Ireland recently have had a negative impact on Irish tourism. Added to this were the complications of an already challenging year with economic factors such as the weak US dollar and the credit crunch playing a part.

“Trading conditions this year are very tough, probably the toughest in a number of years. The weather has been the icing on the cake in terms of (people being) less inclined to book breaks, or when they are booking they may be inclined to book overseas breaks,” Failte Ireland’s Paul Keeley said.

The recent weather in Ireland was so extreme, flash floods were witnessed throughout the country. Rainfall equivalent to one month fell in parts of Dublin in one night leading to devastating scenes. The rainfall measured at Dublin Airport by Met Éireann recorded 76.2mm of rain in 24 hours, the second biggest recorded rainfall on record. The amount of rain even surpassed Hurricane Charlie in 1986 by 2mm.

“That kind of rainfall is rare – but it is not unprecedented. We’ve had a number of occurrences of that level of rainfall, typically once every decade,” Mr O’Brien said.

Tourism Ireland, which markets Ireland overseas, said total visitor numbers were up slightly in May. However, a spokeswoman said: “I’m aware that the industry on the ground say numbers have dropped.”

As a result of the sever weather conditions, many of the main access routes to Dublin Airport were either blocked or severely restricted. Many of the car rental companies experienced major difficulties with returning cars due to floods along the Old Airport Road.

Related Stories

- Weather rains on tourism industry
- Apocalypse yesterday
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If you have any thoughts on this article, or have any other suggestions regarding this article, please leave a comment.

18
Jul
08

Spending Time in Dublin Airport

A recent fault at Dublin Airport brought the capacity of Ireland’s main airport to just 65%. This fault caused delays to thousands of passengers and disrupted many flights to and from the airport. Airlines such as Ryanair and Aer Lingus had to cancel many flights over numerous days while the airport struggled to return to full functionality.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said that there was a glitch in the radar hardware. The apologies by the IAA for the delays ring hollow when as it turned out this problem was weeks old, and has been the fifth radar problem since the radar was installed in 2005. Added to this disaster is the fact that the IAA has no back up options… one radar for one country.

While delays like this are the exception rather than the rule, there are a number of steps which can be taken to reduce the strain of having to travel through an airport while still fulfilling the necessary requirements of the airline. The DAA recommends that you arrive 90 minutes before your flight is due to depart. Some of these tips are very straight forward and deal with your normal every day journey through Dublin Airport, but no matter how prepared you, delays such as those at Dublin Airport recently can leave you helpless and stranded.

1 – Arrive in plenty of time and get checked in for your flight as soon as possible. While that is a simple matter for those of us living in Dublin, tourists who may be traveling from further afield will have the extra complications of having to drop back a car rental, checking out of hotels etc. The budget airlines at Dublin Airport work mostly off a self service check in kiosk which makes the whole process of getting your boarding card very quick. If you are traveling long distance from Dublin Airport, it is suggest you arrive 3 hours before your departure.

2 – Once checked in, it is important to run the security check gauntlet as soon as possible. This process be anything between mundane and horrific depending on how busy the airport is and how many security check gates are open. It is important to know the security requirements regarding what you can and can’t bring on the plane. For more information click here.

3 – After passing through security, you will be in the old duty free shopping area. There are a good variety of shops and products here for last minute gifts and for treating yourself from everything to a cup of coffee to a new camera. There is good value to be had here, particularly if you buy items in bigger sizes. If your flight is delayed, here is the place to try and waste some time.

4 – The food court is good but expensive in Dublin Airport. It would be nice to think expensive means good quality, but I’m afraid not. Everything from sandwiches and coffees to a full meal is available here.

5 – Internet access can be found throughout the airport either by using the computers provided or the wireless service provided by Dublin Airport.

6 – For those wishing to enjoy a bit more comfort during their stay at the airport, there is a passenger lounge available from 0530 till 1900 daily (The Anna Livia Departure Lounge). This offers complimentary refreshments, magazines, newspapers and a business centre with free internet access. If you are going to be delayed for any period of time, this may be the place for you.

7 – The last place for waiting for your flight is the departure lounges. They have a generous supply of seats for passengers waiting to board planes. The area can get busy just before a plane is due to board, but sitting here and reading a book is an excellent way to spend your time waiting for your flight to depart.

Dublin Airport is working hard to expand and cope with the ever increasing passenger numbers. There is a number of facilities not mentioned here available to all passengers. These include: Currency & Banking services, Left Luggage, Meet & Greet, Baby Changing Facilities and reduced mobility facilities.

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01
Jul
08

Malone Car Rental Ireland – Site Review

Malone Car Rental is one of the largest independent car rental companies operating in the Irish Car Rental market and has locations in Dublin City Centre, Dublin Airport, Cork City, Cork Airport and Shannon Airport. Malone Car Rental Ireland has a wide range of vehicles that cater for all needs, from the cheap to the luxurious and everything in between.

“Malone car hire has a long tradition for providing an excellent service at a discount price.”

There is a lot of information on the site about pick up locations, opening hours and contact details which makes the site in general easy to use. Information about further services offered by Malone Car Rental is also given, including corporate hire, van rental and GPS hire.

There is a large information section about traveling in Ireland which provides information under the following headlines: Tourist Information, Towns and Cities and Information about Renting a Car in Ireland. There is no doubt that a lot of thought had been put into the provision of good quality information for those interested in traveling to Ireland.

One of the very nice aspects of the website is the fact that they provide customer feedback on the homepage. It is always reassuring to hear that people have received a good services from a company, and this no doubt helps towards their bookings.

“Pick-up staff at location were very helpful with giving us a bigger vehicle that we had reserved” – Dublin City Centre

All in all, the Malone Car Rental Ireland website provides good information about renting a car in Ireland. There is ample information on the vehicles themselves, and the processes involved in renting a car in Ireland.

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27
Jun
08

Dublin Airport City

The Dublin Airport Authority has recently announced plans for an ambitions development of the Dublin Airport are and surrounding environs. This ambitions project will develop at 350 acre land reserve situated to the East of Dublin Airport and will cost in the region of €4 billion.

Of this 350 acres, 90% is already owned by the Dublin Airport Authority, and they are confident that they will be able to purchase the remaining pockets. The development will be mainly high rise and will be expected to be completed by 2028. There will be 600,000sqm of office space along with 40,000sq meters of retail, hotel and conference facilities. It is expected that the journey time from office to airport will be in the region of 6 minutes.

Dublin Airport City

During the announcement, the Dublin Airport Authority said that the development would constitute “a world class economic zone for international business headquarters” and add €1 billion to the Irish economy. The combination of top class IT services, excellent transport infrastructure and easy access to air transport, top quality transit connections with Dublin City Center and already existing transport facilities such as taxi terminals and car rental facilities will attract multinational companies seeking access to the European market. The first buildings will be completed by 2013 and all further development will be rolled out in 5 year stages.

“The finished development is expected to create approximately 30,000 jobs, of which one third will be new, in addition to 2,000 construction and fit-out jobs per year over the construction lifetime of the project. 90 per cent of the land involved is currently owned by the DAA and the authority says it is confident of buying up the “remaining pockets” in time for the development.”

In terms of concept, Airport Cities are relatively new and involve the large scale development around major international transport hubs. Dublin Airport City follows the example of Dallas/Fort Worth and Hong Kong Sky City. Skycity features a 70,000 sqm exhibition centre, a Marriott hotel and golf course and development is underway on Skyplaza, a vast entertainment, retail and commercial space which will include the Hong Kong Airport World Trade Centre. In both other examples, the airport authorities in question had control over large land areas surrounding the airport. In the case of Dallas / Fort Worth and Hong Kong Sky City, the land was sold to a developer while the Dublin Airport Authority produced the master plan for the development and will not sell off the land.

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25
Jun
08

Dublin Airport Short Term Car Parking

The short term car park at Dublin Airport has never been considered cheap, but the new Short Break promotion offered by the Dublin Airport Authority gives a 50% discount on the normal Short Term Car Parking rate. People who wish to avail of this rate must book online and include a Saturday night during their stay. Online bookings for the Short Term Car Park can be made here.

There are a total of 3,600 short term spaces at Dublin Airport, and a total of over 14,000 long term spaces. The short term car park is situated within easy reach from the main terminal at Dublin Airport (Terminal 1). The car park is fully automated and the fee must be prepaid before exiting the car park. There are a total of 19 pay stations located around the airport.

The fees for short term car parking at Dublin Airport are as follows:

- €1.50 under 30 mins
- €3.00 first hour
- €4.50 per hour after first hour

The main location for car park pay stations is beside the Dublin Airport car rental bus pick up/drop off location. The machines are brightly colored and easily visible.

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05
Jun
08

Flying in to Shannon: Arriving in the Shannon Airport

Ireland has three primary airports. These are located in Dublin, Cork and Shannon, and the Shannon Airport, or the or Aerfort na Sionna, the second busiest airport of the three. In 2006 the Shannon Airport saw over three and a half million passengers travel through its gates. The largest operator through Shannon airport is Ryan Air, a budget airline that is responsible for over half of the passengers coming through Shannon airport. They will soon have five aircraft operating out of Shannon airport covering thirty one different routes— will you be on one of them?

The Shannon airport is a popular choice with many international travelers. The Shannon airport actually has something called US Border pre-clearance, which allows passengers traveling to the United States to have all necessary paperwork taken car of before they board their flight, which saves them a lot of time when they arrive in the United States. Dublin Airport also offers this same service, meaning that Ireland boasts the only two European airports that offer this service to their passengers. This is an especially popular choice for families with young children, since the last thing tired parents usually want to do after such a long flight is to contend with customs clearance and border services while juggling children!

The Shannon airport is well served by bus routes connecting to the city, and taxis also operate out of the Shannon airport. Visitors also have the option of hiring a rental car right in the terminal, saving them from having to do so on arrival in the city. If you choose to hire a car from the Shannon Airport, you will be able to load the whole family and luggage into your rental car and drive directly to your chosen accommodation to relax after your flight.

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