What are the benefits of the Infrastructure Application (IA)?
What will be the key outcomes of the investment plans?
Capacity
The Infrastructure Application is a key design and construction component of the Capital Investment Programme (CIP) which will facilitate the further growth of Dublin Airport and increase terminal capacity.
An increase in passenger capacity to 40mppa is required in order to meet forecasted demand. Strong growth in passenger demand is projected to continue in the short and medium-term. In 2022, Dublin Airport saw 28.1 million passengers through its doors. About 30.7 million people started and ended their journey at Dublin Airport in 2019, while almost 2.2 million passengers used the airport as a hub, reflecting the growth of the airports hub role in line with national policy.
International Connectivity
Dublin Airport provides international connectivity on a range and scale that cannot be replicated by other airports in Ireland. This is because much of the demand is in and around Dublin – of the 5.1 million people living in Ireland, 2.1 million (41%) live in Greater Dublin; and because Dublin Airport is Ireland’s only hub airport, meaning it is the only airport capable of supporting a much higher level of connectivity by pooling both point-to-point traffic and transfer traffic.
The National Aviation Policy for Ireland, 2015 prescribes growth for Dublin Airport generally and provides that Dublin Airport should be promoted as a secondary hub, operating to global markets. Transfer operations underpin the viability of routes and frequencies, particularly during quiet periods of the year meaning growth in transfer traffic is critical to achieving both high-quality connectivity (as required by the NPF) and continuity of services across the year.
Passenger Experience
Dublin Airport prioritises improving the service standards across the campus and targets an effortless travel experience where every journey is defined by ease and efficiency. We seek to improve standards through a range of initiatives to create a stress-free journey through the airport for our passengers. The reorientation of existing spaces and introduction of new passenger facilities and consumer offerings will improve the airport environment.
Sustainability
All of our projects will go through a sustainability design phase, ensuring we stay on track to achieve our carbon reduction targets. Any new buildings will meet or go beyond NZEB (Nearly Zero-Emission Building) requirements. All new aircraft stands will have Fixed Electrical Ground Power (FEGP) instead of diesel run generators as we transition towards a cleaner, sustainable airfield.
