THE OPERATORS OF Dublin Airport say they “don’t see a need for a third terminal” ahead of the proposed sale of a major landbank between the both runways at the hub.
The sale of the lots, which is privately owned by British real estate company Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Incorporated totals 260 acres, between the north and south runway of the state-run airport and was reported as a “critical national asset” by The Irish Times yesterday.
However, the airport’s operator DAA played down the proposed sale. While the company would not comment on the proposed sale of land directly, the suggested there were currently no plans to expand the facility.
JLL said in a statement today: “In the current year alone, it is anticipated that passenger throughput will return to record levels in excess of 32 million passengers, which is the maximum allowed by An Bord Pleanála under existing planning permissions.”
This week, Graeme McQueen media relations manager for DAA said the airport is operating at similar travel levels to 2019, where 32.9 million passengers travelled through it’s gates.
In a 2019 inspector’s report from An Bord Pleanála, the planning authority ruled that increasing the airport’s capacity beyond its current cap of 32 million passengers would not require new works, but that the airport would be required to seek planning permission if they wished to increase the cap.
JLL suggested that the long-term and short-term plans to accommodate the “rapidly increasing numbers” should begin soon to allow the passenger levels to grow and protect Ireland’s “connectivity”.
A spokesperson for DAA said that the operators currently have a development plan with a value of €2 billion which they intend to use to retain and develop the operations and infrastructure they have currently.
Last year, the first flight took off from airport’s €320m North Runway, which Head of communications for the DAA Kevin Cullinane said will permit “further connectivity to more long-haul destinations” at the time.
The entire land that is up for sale between the two runways are three separate lots, which JLL say will either be sold in their entirety or as three separate lots.
John Moran, CEO, JLL said: “This provides an exceptional development opportunity as there are no lands of similar zoning and location which are potentially designated for the short and medium-term development of one of Europe’s busiest and most well-connected airports.”
The lots is currently classified as Dublin Airport land, as per Fingal County Council’s 2023-2029 development plan which JLL say is to “ensure the effective and efficient development of the airport in accordance with an approved Local Area Plan”.
To see the full map from the council, click here.
In 2020, before the general election was called, former Transport Minster Shane Ross told The Journal that the government was “on the brink” of making a decision on the development of a third terminal.
A 2018 government report claimed it was needed by 2031 and estimated that more than 50 million passengers will be passing through the airport annually.
The lands are currently in agricultural use according to the real estate agency.
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