Increase in passenger charges at Dublin Airport may be on the way

Dublin Airport Authority says that the current "ultra-low" passenger charge is "unsustainable" if the airport wants to move forward.

A price hike for passengers at Dublin Airport is looming on the horizon as the capital's airport looks to the future and an expansion plan to the tune of almost €2.5 billion. Dublin Airport Authority (daa) has said that the present passenger charge – capped at €8.50 – is both "ultra-low" and "unsustainable" in light of planned upgrades. According to Dublin Airport, the passenger charge refers to the passenger processing service, with the provision of certain airport security also factored in. The charge is typically paid indirectly by passengers via the airline ticket price or by freight customers via an associated fee. The Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) has highlighted an addendum to the Dublin Airport Authority's previously published Regulatory Proposition, one which presents a revised operational expenditure forecast between 2023 and 2026. This includes an outlined request to the Commission for Aviation Regulation to raise the passenger charge to the maximum possible amount of €14.77 by 2026. In a statement issued to JOE, a daa spokesperson pointed to "fast-evolving industry dynamics" that require further revision as the sector recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The submissions submitted set out in detail the plans for investment in facilities and services at Dublin Airport to ensure a great proposition for passengers and airport users," says the spokesperson.

"The additional submission to CAR takes into account changes in operating costs which are now necessary for the successful running of security at Dublin Airport in light of the rapidly accelerated recovery in international air travel which has exceeded all analysts’ expectations."

The daa spokesperson goes on to state that time, investment and additional human resources are requires to improve overall standards at the airport.

"Daa argues that delivering a high-quality airport experience cannot be achieved through a continuance of its ultra-low passenger charge which is unsustainable.

"Dublin Airport’s current passenger charge is already one of the lowest among its peers in Europe and this increase will still ensure that our charges remain among the lowest of any major European airport.

"CAR’s future determination of the price cap - the amount that airline customers are charged for the use of runways, terminals and the associated services provided by the airport authority - must take account of the current reality at Dublin Airport, which is experiencing its third year of Covid-19 related commercial and financial damage."

In something of a mixed bag of a week for Dublin Airport thus far, the airport has denied claims that 1,000 employees were made redundant during the pandemic. The statement arrived in response to a segment that aired on The Tonight Show on Virgin Media One on Monday. Elsewhere, as the daa reports on "significant improvements in passenger experience", at least 88 flights out of Dublin Airport have been cancelled in the last five days, with Covid outbreaks in airline staff among the chief factors in the cancellations. Featured Image of Dublin Airport via Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie