Dublin Airport car parking shortage could spark summer chaos as Ryanair slams operator

The airline's chief Eddie Wilson slammed the daa when it told passengers to get a lift to the terminal after warning all its 23,000 spaces could be sold out

Never miss a beat from Dublin and beyond by signing up to our FREE newsletter

We have more newsletters

A car parking shortage at Dublin Airport could spark a summer of chaos as Ryanair accused the operator of lacking foresight.

The airline's chief Eddie Wilson slammed the daa when it told passengers to get a lift to the terminal after warning all its 23,000 spaces could be sold out for the busiest time of year. He said: "They always seem to have some excuse.

"Last year it was security and not hiring people on time and this year it's not having the foresight to do anything about car parking." Mr Wilson claimed the daa should have found alternatives such as opening emergency relief parking on its lands, like "you do in festivals".

But an airport spokesperson branded that idea "simplistic nonsense. We are not a county fair".

Read more: Guinness maker's warning over WhatsApp scam that offers 'fridge full of beer' for Father's Day

The source added: "Car parking requires infrastructure which requires planning permission. We are running the fifth largest transatlantic hub airport in Europe."

daa said the shortfall is due to the closure of QuickPark and the loss of 6,200 spaces – a fifth of total car parking capacity. Dublin Airport bought the QuickPark building but it is not currently using it as a car park while the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission reviews the purchase.

However, the CCPC said its review does not stop the airport "operating a car parking business". Sinn Fein TD Martin Kenny, Deputy Cian O’Callaghan of the Social Democrats and Labour TD Duncan Smith all recently called for use of the QuickPark building.

Mr Kenny claimed it does not need "any development or retrofitting" and "simply needs to be opened". Senator Emer Currie warned the car parking "debacle" could "get worse".

She tweeted: "I’ve been calling on Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to intervene in the car parking debacle at Dublin Airport since April." Speaking on RTE, Mr Wilson urged Mr Ryan to instruct Dublin Airport not to buy the building in order to open car parking to competition.

He said this would "encourage other investors to introduce much needed competition for car parking availability". Mr Wilson added: "It's a mess. There's always something.

"This year it's parking. I don't know what it will be next year.

"The time to look at this was months ago, just like it was straight after Covid with security. The time to do this was not this weekend, not to put out a press release to say they have run out of car parking."

Mr Wilson said the operator "should have had the foresight to see this and done something about it" rather than "making a list of excuses". One passenger tweeted: "Not having parking is ridiculous for any airport."

Rates for parking at Dublin Airport vary during the year, with short-term car parks costing €3 for the first hour, and €4.50 after that, or €40 for the day.