Aer Lingus and Ryanair have welcomed today's announcement by the Minister for Transport to seek proposals for the construction of a second terminal at Dublin Airport.
Seamus Brennan said that the new terminal would be independently run and would be in addition to the new Pier D facility for low-cost airlines that Aer Rianta hopes to complete in 2004.
Minister Brennan said that it was important that airlines should have a choice of whether to deal with the new terminal or Aer Rianta. He said that the project could be up and running by the end of the year if there were solid expressions of interest by the end of October.
Aer Lingus said it hoped the competition would bring down costs in the airline industry.
Ryanair said that competition for the provision of terminal space in Dublin airport is long overdue. It promised to launch a wide network of new routes between Ireland and continental Europe.
The airline says if the terminal is built Ryanair will launch a wide network of new routes between Ireland and continental Europe. It says the new terminal and the new routes could be in place as early as summer 2004.
Aer Rianta has declined to comment.
