Daa hits back at Ryanair's 'simplistic' solution to car parking problem

Daa has hit back at Ryanair for its "simplistic view" that it could solve its car parking problems at Dublin Airport by opening nearby fields so that passengers can park.

Dublin Airport recently issued another warning to passengers that demand for car parking remains very high with limited spaces available. It advised customers flying soon, and who haven't booked parking spaces yet, to do so.

"If your dates are sold out, you should consider an alternative way of travelling to the airport," the airport said.

This prompted budget airline Ryanair to call on daa to use the land it owns around the airport as temporary car parking this summer. A spokesperson for the airline said daa could solve the parking issue by "simply parking cars on a temporary basis in the many fields and/or driving ranges it owns close to Dublin Airport".

"Emergency times need emergency measures."

In addition, Ryanair claimed that the daa is using this situation to put pressure on the competition authority to wave through approval of its acquisition of the former QuickPark site near the airport.

However, daa has hit back at Ryanair calling the suggestion to use fields for car parking a "simplistic view" adding that "car parking requires infrastructure which requires planning permission".

"We are running the fifth largest transatlantic hub airport in Europe, not a county fair," a daa spokesman said. "Our focus is ensuring that everyone has a positive passenger experience at our airports over the busy summer months ahead."

Airport charges

Ryanair also used the opportunity to claim daa is using its monopoly position to game the system to obtain price increases on its airport charges.

Daa took issue with the suggestion it was a monopoly saying it does not set its own charges as it is a regulated business "unlike airlines who do set their own fares which have risen 30% in the past year".

"We offer ultra-low-cost charges at Dublin Airport, the lowest of any capital city airport in Europe, which are set to decrease by 30% presently."

Daa have taken a High Court action against the Commission for Aviation Regulation in order to get an increase in the per passenger charge paid to it by airlines. It said an increase in the charge will allow it to hire more security staff and reduce waiting times.

Ryanair are opposing this action saying the Dublin Airport operator is using its own "mismanagement" of security waiting times last year to justify the charge increases.

Daa spokesman said many airlines have grown strongly at Dublin Airport over the past decade and "we leave airlines, including a world class operator like Ryanair, to run their very profitable businesses while we continue to invest in vital strategic infrastructure to connect Ireland to the world".

Tánaiste Micheál Martin also addressed the parking issue. saying the loss of a private car park and the difficulty in having a replacement does create challenges and said it highlighted the need for alternative transport to the airport such as the long-planned metro. "The metro if you like, is something that we have to make sure it happens over time.

"Yes it was committed to decades ago but it wasn't followed through because of financial and economic issues, that is why I’d like in the context of current surpluses and so on that we’d be more strategic in the use of those surpluses that we could future-proof significant infrastructure projects like a metro."