GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ARE attempting to organise a meeting “as soon as possible” with a group representing US airlines after it wrote to the Transport Minister Eamon Ryan demanding urgent action over the “significant delays” at the Dublin Airport.
The letter from Airlines for America (A4A) to the minister raised a number of issues which are affecting the operations of their member airlines – American, Delta, United and Air Canada – at Dublin Airport.
It is understood the letter stated the delays are damaging travellers’ impression of Ireland. The group added that it is also causing passengers to miss connecting flights.
The correspondence comes as Ryan and Junior Minister for Transport Hildegarde Naughten briefed Cabinet on Dublin Airport.
When asked about the matter today, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he didn’t think that the delays at the airport had caused “damage to our tourism product… in the imminent sense”.
However, he said “we do not want to see a recurrence of that”.
He said Ryan and Naughten continue to engage with the DAA to ensure that “everything possible must be done” to improve the performance at the airport in terms of the customer experience of those travelling in and out of the country.
The Taoiseach said other airports in Europe are also experiencing issues, due to the rapid rebound of international travel post-Covid.
Embarrassment
When asked if the issue was embarrassing for the Government, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said: “I think it’d be more embarrassing if I didn’t turn on the BBC News and see that these problems are being experienced all across Europe, to the extent that in some countries, airlines are actually canceling flights.”
Some airports are restricting the number of flights, he added.
“We don’t want to be in that position where we’re actually cancelling peoples’ flights, where airlines have to cancel peoples’ flights, are restricting access to the airports, we definitely don’t want to be in that situation. That’s what is happening around Europe and around the world,” he said.
He said demand has snapped back and airlines and airports around the world are struggling to cope.
“Everything is being done to make sure that we minimise disruption and minimise delays and make sure that people get a good service,” he added.
It is understood that regular meetings will continue with DAA until ministers are satisfied that difficulties persisting at the airport are satisfactorily resolved. Another meeting is due to take place next week.
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