RELEASE DAA LANDS FOR TEMP CAR PARKS THIS SUMMER AT DUB AIRPORT

Ryanair, Ireland’s largest airline, today (9th June) called on the DAA monopoly to stop gaming the regulatory system to obtain more unjustified price increases on its already high airport charges at Dublin. Ryanair pointed to a number of regulatory issues where it believes the DAA airport monopoly is currently gaming the system;

1. The DAA’s recent claim that it needs a price increase to fix staffing shortages in its security operation are FALSE. The Summer 2022 security queues issue at Dublin Airport was a direct result of DAA mismanagement and this self-inflicted failure is now being used by the DAA monopoly as an excuse for further unjustified price increases. The DAA has already received excessive price increases under the regulatory system in Ireland, yet despite this booming income, it still mismanaged security staffing in Dublin in 2022.
2. DAA is seeking price increases to fund an unnecessary 4 lane tunnel under the taxiway to access the west apron. This is where any 3rd terminal will ultimately be located. Yet over the weekend, a DAA spokesperson repeatedly confirmed that the DAA does not support a 3rd terminal. If DAA does not support a 3rd terminal, why is it wasting €200m building a tunnel under a taxiway to access the west apron where a 3rd terminal would be built?
3. The DAA claim that its car parks are “full” as a reason to pressure the Competition Authority to wave through approval of its monopoly grab for the QuickPark car park. The DAA owns lots of land immediately surrounding Dublin Airport (such as the Dublin Airport Driving Range for example), which could be opened as a temporary car park at very short notice, releasing pressure on Dublin Airport car parking and more importantly keeping the cost of car parking low for customers.
4. The DAA is already the beneficiary of the return of duty free sales on routes to/from the UK. The Regulator should be reducing Dublin Airport fees to take account of the booming sales and profitability the DAA monopoly now enjoys thanks to the restoration of duty free sales on UK flights.
   Ryanair calls on the Competition Authority to reject the DAA’s regulatory gaming, and on the Transport Minister, Eamon Ryan (who as usual goes missing during this car parking crisis) to instruct the DAA to open its land bank around Dublin Airport and for temporary car parking during the peak summer months, so that Irish consumers can park close to Dublin Airport. Minister Ryan should also instruct the DAA to withdraw its bid for the QuickPark car park to encourage other investors to introduce much needed competition for car parking availability at Dublin Airport.

A Spokesperson for Ryanair said:

“Last year the DAA was using its mismanagement of security queues as an excuse for more price increases. This year the DAA is mismanaging car parking deliberately, in our view, so that they can pressure the Competition Authority to award them monopoly control over the QuickPark car park, which is the only competing car park at Dublin Airport. The DAA could solve the car park issue by simply parking cars on a temporary basis in the many fields and/or driving ranges it owns close to Dublin Airport. Emergency times need emergency measures. The DAA solution to all of these problems is to pressure regulators for price increases or to expand its monopoly control over car parking. The DAA should stick to growing traffic at Dublin Airport, and reducing its expensive passenger fees, particularly now that it is a beneficiary of booming duty free sales on its wide route network to the UK. It’s time for Minister Ryan to take action to protect consumers rather than, as usual, being asleep on the job.”