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Taoiseach speaks to the media during a visit to Boston's Logan airport to mark JetBlue's new daily flights from Boston to Dublin. Alamy Stock Photo

Airport passenger cap 'a concern' for JetBlue as new Dublin route aims to reduce airfares

JetBlue says it hopes the passenger cap won’t interfere with expanding the service to Dublin.

AMERICAN AIRLINE JETBLUE’S entry into the Irish market should drive down airfares for transatlantic travel, but the airline warns the passenger cap at Dublin Airport was a concern when deciding to open up its new routes. 

Airport operator DAA has applied to Fingal County Council to have the cap increased to 40 million.

The planning board, An Bord Pleanála, imposed the limit when it granted permission to Dublin Airport to build the north runway. 

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has heavily criticised the government, and the Transport Minister Eamon Ryan in particular, stating that the cap will cost the Irish economy business. 

O’Leary said a failure to lift the passenger cap at Dublin Airport meant that airline business was now being sent to other parts of Europe

Speaking to The Journal at Boston Logan Airport today, where the Taoiseach was meeting with JetBlue executives and staff ahead of the first JetBlue flight from Boston to Dublin this evening, Robert Land, Senior Vice President and Head of Government Affairs for JetBlue, said when the airline was considering starting flights from Dublin the passenger cap on Dublin Airport did come into play.

‘A concern’

“It did and it’s a concern. We’re very grateful that the airport authority was able to work us in, and I think we have a really good working relationship with them. It’s our hope that the cap will not interfere with our continued presence,” he said. 

From today, JetBlue will operate daily ­transatlantic flights from Dublin to New York and Boston.

The service beginning today is seasonal, running for about six months during the high season, but Land said it is the company’s hope that the planes will be full enough that the service can expand to year-round.

“It’s also our hope that we’ll never bump into that cap,” he added. 

‘Driving down fares’

“There’s something here in the US called the JetBlue effect and it’s where you go into a market domestic or international, we go in with lower fares and a better product, and it forces everyone else to up their game and lower their fares,” he said.

Land said flights from Dublin to New York will be in and around $499, stating that it is good news for Irish tourism and the economy.

He said JetBlue “absolutely” wants to enter the Irish market and drive down the cost of flights for passengers. 

He added that the new fleet that will be used is a brand new A321 aircraft that is 20% less fuel burn than its existing fleet.

JetBlue has already expressed formally in writing to the airport leadership that they would like to see the passenger cap grow, modestly, said the airline vice-president.

terminal-2-dublin-airport-ireland Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

When The Journal asked him about the boss of Ryanair’s vocal views on the airport cap, he said:

He’s right, in a sense that if the cap is firm, there’s only but so much room when you start trampling on new competition.

“You’re actually then like Amsterdam just did, interfering with the Open Skies Agreement – the air service agreements – between the two countries, the EU and the US. And then that raises legality issues for anybody flying in the market.”

He argued that the cap should increase modestly to ensure that new entrants “are not stymied in their growth”.

“I can’t speak for other carriers. That’s not my place. But he’s right,” Land said of O’Leary. 

IMG_0143 Taoiseach and Irish officials meet with JetBlue's Robert Land at Boston Airport today. Christina Finn Christina Finn

Taoiseach says cap should increase

Varadkar said the cap should be increased in his view, stating that as an island nation, it is the main way for people to travel in and out of the country.  

“In an ideal world, you would redistribute traffic from Dublin to regional airports, all of which are doing quite well at the moment,” he said.

However, the Taoiseach said airlines tell the government, particularly ones that travel transatlantic routes, it “they’ll just send their planes to other countries, not other airports in Ireland”.

“And we have to listen to that,” he added.

There is a planning process underway, the Taoiseach added, before stating:

“Certainly, I believe that the cap should be increased. Not only will it improve our connectivity for business and people visiting friends and relatives, and so on, it will also help bring airfares down.”

Political Editor Christina Finn will be in the US throughout the week for the Taoiseach’s visit. Follow @thejournal_ie and @christinafinn8 for all the latest.

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23 Comments
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    Mute Casper
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    Nov 10th 2017, 5:07 PM

    Seven years what a joke

    231
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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Nov 10th 2017, 5:14 PM

    @Casper: Can only sentence what the max was at the time of the offence, in the 70′s.

    Legislation allows for bigger sentences now.

    47
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    Mute Casper
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    Nov 10th 2017, 5:19 PM

    @Matt Connolly: well if that’s the case the law needs to be changed to allow for bigger sentences, it don’t matter what decade it was or is it still has the same impact on its victims and society as a whole.

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    Mute the phantom
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    Nov 10th 2017, 5:25 PM

    @Casper: agreed. It must be possible to classify violent rapists (those proven to ever have offended) as on-going dangers to society and jail them at the discretion of the minister for justice.
    Could even apply to people who committed such acts abroad. Not a bad way to keep out people who have done so in other countries too.

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    Mute John O'Neill
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    Nov 10th 2017, 5:38 PM

    @Casper: it is my understanding that the judge made this 7 year sentence run consecutively to the 7 year and 10 months sentence he is already serving which is right and proper

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    Mute Casper
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    Nov 10th 2017, 5:44 PM

    @John O’Neill: well that’s good to know

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    Mute Dean Moriarity
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    Nov 10th 2017, 5:34 PM

    Parents should be very wary of letting their kids play GAA. Far too much of this going on under the county banner.

    71
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    Mute Casper
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    Nov 10th 2017, 5:41 PM

    @Dean Moriarity: don’t be silly you can’t paint every one with the one brush, lots of good people give of their time to these clubs day in and day out and well done to their commitment, but clubs do have a duty of care to make sure that volunteers are vetted and provided training in child protection

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    Mute Cultural Marxist
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    Nov 10th 2017, 5:53 PM

    @Casper: That’s what they used to say about the Catholic Church until the full extent of the paedophilia and cover up was revealed. The GAA is run along the same lines, unquestioning loyalty to the parish coach who has access to children via a position of trust. This is only the tip of the iceberg in the GAA.

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    Mute Casper
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    Nov 10th 2017, 5:59 PM

    @Cultural Marxist: well if that’s true I would assume its historical, I don’t believe that would be the case in this day and age, and I hope that people keep coming forward and put their perpetrators behind bars where they belong

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    Mute Cultural Marxist
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    Nov 10th 2017, 6:08 PM

    @Casper: Agreed.

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    Mute Thomas Blackcat
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    Nov 10th 2017, 6:15 PM

    @Cultural Marxist: Not happening now? That’s what the RCC and GAA swore then….and it’s still happening. People are both blind and stupid…..

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    Mute Casper
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    Nov 10th 2017, 6:35 PM

    @Thomas Blackcat: sounds like you have some information or evidence of serious crimes if you do you better take it to the Garda, and if you don’t stop blowing smoke out of your arse

    31
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    Mute Ray Muller
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    Nov 10th 2017, 7:58 PM

    @Cultural Marxist:
    Perverts will infiltrate any organisation that will provide cover for their despicable criminal acts. Being a cultural Marxist perhaps you are aware of Bella Dodd?
    “In the late 1920′s and 1930′s, directives were sent from Moscow to all Communist Party organizations. In order to destroy the Catholic Church from within, party members were to be planted in seminaries and within diocesan organizations,” Dodd stated according to the affidavit.She also stated in her book “school of darkness” that “The homosexual and heretical pollution of the priesthood was deliberate and long in the making” and that she herself under orders placed over 1100 deviants into the church to destroy it from within?

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    Mute Cultural Marxist
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    Nov 10th 2017, 8:32 PM

    @Ray Muller: Calling gay people perverts and deviant, you must be a Catholic yourself. When you graduate from primary school you may also learn that there is no link between sexual orientation and paedophilia, that is why your priests molested young girls as well as boys.

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    Mute Ray Muller
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    Nov 10th 2017, 9:32 PM

    @Cultural Marxist:
    Of course there isn’t, but there is a historically connection with pederastry, or man and boy, which is what apparently occurred in this case. Its also a tag peculiar that the world leading “gay” rights group, ILGA, reportedly harboured no less that 3 of these dangerous sicko groups in their ranks for years. They even had UN funding removed because of it!
    Just saying it as it is.

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    Mute Ray Muller
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    Nov 10th 2017, 9:40 PM

    @Cultural Marxist: Of course there isn’t, but there is a historical connection, Romans and Greeks with pederastry, or man and boy depravity, which is what apparently what transpired in this case.
    Its also a tag peculiar that the world’s leading “gay” rights group, ILGA, reportedly harboured no less that 3 of these dangerous sicko groups in their ranks for years. They even had UN funding removed because of it!
    Just saying it as it is. The truth shouldn’t offend anyone?

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    Mute Sinead Hanley
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    Nov 10th 2017, 10:10 PM

    @Casper: My young fella plays hurling and as far as i am aware, there is no garda vetting (at our local club anyway). I often help out at things and no one has ever asked me to get garda vetted. The local parish council asked me to do some readings at the church regularly. And i had to be garda vetted. Its extremely strict at the church and so it should be with their disastrous record. So i do feel there is a risk at my GAA club that i didnt consider. Though i do accompany my son to ALL matches/training.

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    Mute Jumperoo
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    Nov 10th 2017, 11:25 PM

    @Sinead Hanley: Garda vetting is a requirement for all coaches and others involved with underage GAA teams, and has been for years. I don’t know to what extent you help out yourself, but maybe not to that degree? Would find it unlikely that your club doesn’t comply at all. Either way, it would probably be better for you to ask a club official than to throw such probably unfounded accusations around online.

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    Mute Sinead Hanley
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    Nov 11th 2017, 1:11 AM

    @Jumperoo: The fact is that even though my club are probably complying (as you say) with garda vetting etc, i as a parent have not been made aware of it. My son is with his club for 3 years since he was 4 and i have never heard a word about child “safety” except for the cul camps. I am not suggesting any problems with child safety but i think its important that the GAA highlight their stance from now on. I was taken aback when i read this article cos i hasnt considered it. Though i always accompany my child. There is a framed poster in our church for safety officers/people for children if u are concerned. Its not in our gaa club.

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    Mute Gearoidín Ní Fhiách
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    Nov 11th 2017, 3:05 AM

    @Sinead Hanley: Sinead, there is a legal requirement on every GAA club to have every coach, trainer or manager Garda Vetted. They are also obliged to undertake a Child a Protection course of which this subject matter is the primary focus. They must also undertake various coaching courses, but the first, the Garda Vetting is essential. It would not be possible to have every single person who turns up at a pitch checked, many are parents like yourself etc. Think about it. If your child is at a game and you’ve arranged another parent to take them home, and something sinister were to occur, there is nothing the GAA club could do to prevent that, if you follow. But a good club will take all and any precautions to ensure those with the closet contact yo kids, are safe. That said, these predators will always find a way. Can’t keep kids locked away, just in case.

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    Mute MacEochagain
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    Nov 10th 2017, 6:13 PM

    More silence from Croke Park. They need to come out and reassure people things are done properly these days…. they had more to say about a certain testimonial dinner last week!

    #headinthesand

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    Mute Sean @114
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    Nov 10th 2017, 7:39 PM

    @MacEochagain: this is happening everywhere. The aggressive atheists will tell you that the abusers all have white collars. Anywhere where adults are exposed to kids this can happen. All coaches are Garda vetted but this means little unless you have a record. I’m not sure what any organisation can say unless it’s a token apology. This is a societal issue.

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    Mute Gavin Huban
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    Nov 10th 2017, 7:47 PM

    @Sean @114: societal problem caused by years of religious repression…..

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    Mute Cultural Marxist
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    Nov 10th 2017, 8:34 PM

    @Sean @114: What’s an ‘aggressive atheist’? Is it someone who shouts at nothing?

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    Mute MacEochagain
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    Nov 10th 2017, 9:23 PM

    @Cultural Marxist: it’s a first cousin of a cultural Marxist.. ..

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    Mute Sean @114
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    Nov 11th 2017, 12:52 AM

    @Gavin Huban: years of sexual repression maybe.

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Nov 10th 2017, 5:41 PM

    That sentence is a joke! Three times that sentence would be a joke. Turns my stomach.

    34
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    Mute Paul O Riordan
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    Nov 10th 2017, 5:59 PM

    Appalling behavior from someone in a position of trust. His children are probably victims also. No winners

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    Mute @mdmak33
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    Nov 10th 2017, 6:03 PM

    Its time sentences were changed, instead of protecting these people.

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    Mute Brian O Reilly
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    Nov 10th 2017, 8:41 PM

    A pompous self denying paedophile ,No remorse ,no remission ,

    14
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    Mute Freecakes
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    Nov 10th 2017, 10:59 PM

    The Journal, I often wonder why you even bother with images. Why not show a photo of this s*umbag – we already have his name – so we know what he looks like when he gets parole in a few years.

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    Mute Martin Byrne
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    Nov 10th 2017, 11:57 PM

    @Freecakes: to protect his victims?

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