DAA Investment Programme for Dublin Airport Gathers Pace as new Pier D, Boarding Gate Facility is Opened by An Taoiseach
November 12 2007
The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) plans to invest €435m or
well over €1m per day during 2008 on its Transformation Programme for
Dublin Airport, according to DAA Chairman, Gary McGann.
Speaking before An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, T.D., officially opened the
Airport’s new Pier D boarding gate facility this morning, Mr McGann said the DAA
was well on its way to expanding, improving and modernising Dublin Airport for
passengers and other customers.
“Pier D has just opened, on time and on budget and customers can now look
forward to a similar quality airport travel experience, though on a greater
scale, when the new passenger terminal and related facilities come on stream in
just two and half years’ time,” he said.
Construction of the new terminal (T2) began on Oct 1 and is scheduled for
completion before the end of 2009. Following a subsequent intensive
commissioning, testing and training period, T2 will open to the travelling
public in April 2010. The 75,000sq m terminal and related facilities will cost
€610m.
Speaking at this morning’s opening ceremony, An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern,
T.D., said: “Dublin Airport is the fastest growing major airport in Europe and
one of the busiest - with annual passenger numbers having doubled to more than
20 million over the past decade, and set to increase to 30 million by the middle
of the next decade.
“The huge increase in passenger numbers has, of course, put a great deal of
pressure on the facilities at the airport, especially during the very busy
summer months. That is why the Dublin Airport Authority is investing €2
billion over the next decade to radically improve the passenger experience
here."
"It is vital that we do everything possible to ensure that Dublin Airport is
fit for purpose. I am delighted to see the scale of development that is
happening here and commend the Dublin Airport Authority for their vigour in
driving forward their capital development programme. I would like to
congratulate everyone involved in the construction of this magnificent new
facility."
The opening ceremony was attended by the Minister for Transport, Noel
Dempsey, T.D., Councillor Alan Farrell, Mayor of Fingal and by amongst others,
representatives of the business and travel sectors.
Speaking at the event, Minister Dempsey said: “I welcome the opening of Pier
D as a significant milestone in the delivery of the Government’s Aviation Action
Plan for Dublin Airport and the upgrading of the country’s overall transport
infrastructure.”
Mr McGann thanked Dublin Airport’s passengers and other customers for their
patience over recent years when the scale and quality of facilities failed to
match the pace of aviation traffic growth.
“I hope Pier D provides some recompense for the challenges of the past and
whets passengers’ appetites for the even greater benefits coming down the line,”
he added.
November 12, 2007
For Information:
Siobhan Moore,
(01) 8144108 (087) 2710065
Paul O’
Kane, (01) 8141897 (086) 6090221
Information About Pier D…
The pier has 12 new boarding gates and 14 aircraft contact stands. Contact
stands allow aircraft to board and disembark passengers directly without the
need for bussing
Six gates are currently operational and the remaining six will become
operational in early 2008 when the now disused temporary pre-fabricated walkway
is removed and the concrete underlay, resurfaced and regarded
The overall cost of Pier D and the “Skybridge” was €120m
The pier has a capacity to handle approximately 10m passengers per year or an
average of over 27,000 arriving and departing passengers per day
The pier will be used principally by short-haul aircraft on routes to and
from the United Kingdom and Continental Europe
Pier D is a 250m long, two-storey, segregated building, which means that
arriving and departing passengers are kept apart for aviation security
purposes
The curved “Skybridge” was built to convey passengers from the terminal
building to the pier. It is 350m long, 12m wide and has eight moving walkways
for arriving and departing passengers
A large glass panel, featuring the image of a famous Irish writer and an
extract from one of their works, is located at each of the 12 boarding gates in
Pier D
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