Speech by the Taoiseach, Mr. Brian Cowen, T.D., at the Opening of Terminal 2 (T2) Dublin Airport on 19 November 2010 at 11.00am
A dhaoine uaisle;
Tá áthas orm a bheith i bhur dteannta inniu chun Teirminéal a dó a oscailt in Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath.
Osclóimid ré nua inniu i stair an Aerfoirt a chuirfidh Údarás Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath ar a gcumas déileáil le fás i líon na bpaisinéirí go tríocha cúig milliún sna blianta atá amach romhainn. Tá bhur sprioc fhadtéarma baint amach agaibh anois agus déanaim comhghairdeachas libh as.
Ladies and Gentlemen.
I am delighted to be here today at Dublin Airport to perform the official opening of Terminal 2, or as it is better known, T2.
As we all know from our own experience when we travel, our first impression of the city or country we are visiting is formed at the airport. In Ireland's case for most visitors, their first encounter with Ireland is here at Dublin Airport. Indeed, more than three-quarters of all international passengers arriving by air into Ireland, come through this airport.
Those first impressions and experiences are therefore very important.T2 illustrates that Ireland is open for business and is a great country to visit to experience our world renowned hospitality and culture.
Any objective person looking around this beautiful building today would, I think, have to say that T2 displays the attributes of efficiency, modernity and attractiveness and creates a very positive environment. And positive first impressions of Ireland are going to be very important for us in the coming years.Over one million holiday makers engaging in active pursuits alone in 2009 spent more than €1billion euro.
Aviation Industry
There is no escaping the fact that the aviation sector has been going through a very difficult few years. In responding to the decline in consumer demand for air travel, airlines everywhere have had to take steps to match capacity with demand and have sought to reduce operating costs wherever possible. However, there is evidence across Europe that the decline in passenger numbers experienced during 2009 has stabilised. This is reflected also in passenger and cargo traffic at our own airports where the rate of decline has receded in recent months. It is very encouraging to see that the two main Irish carriers, Aer Lingus and Ryanair, have both reported improvements in performance recently despite the very challenging operating environment.
A very positive aspect to the construction of T2 has been the job creation as at its peak it had 2,600 staff.
Furthermore up to three times that number of jobs was supported by the project, in the areas of manufacturing, services, transport and distribution.
For the future Terminal 2 will I understand provide approximately one thousand new full time posts, which is great news especially in the current economic environment.
I am delighted that Aer Lingus will be the anchor tenant here at T2 with both long haul and short haul passengers set to enjoy the new state of the art facilities that this terminal provides.
As well as offering an improved travelling experience generally, the opening of T2 brings exciting opportunities for enhanced global connectivity for this country. Four major US airlines, US Airways, Continental, Delta and American Airways will be moving operations to the new terminal. I am also delighted that Etihad Airways will be operating its Dublin-Abu Dhabi service from T2. This is a move that demonstrates its support and commitment for its Irish operation, and bodes well for the future.
Tourism
As everyone knows, we are currently finalising a Four Year Budgetary Plan. As well as fiscal adjustments, this will include actions to promote growth in key sectors of the economy.
Tourism has a particularly important role to play.
It already provides a lot of jobs, which are spread right across the country, and attracts a lot of foreign revenue. With the right decisions it has the potential to contribute even more.
We have set the goal of increasing visitor numbers to 8 million by 2015 - which would support an additional 15,000 jobs.
We are looking at ways to reduce costs for visitors, improve the attractions we have to offer visitors, and bring in more visitors from new and fast-developing markets, for example in Asia.
This new Terminal will be part of that drive to improve international access and boost visitor numbers.
T2 Project
The overall T2 complex includes the terminal building itself; a 400 metre-long departures gate area known as Pier E; a new energy efficient power plant and a major upgrade of the airport's campus road network.
The cost of the terminal building itself is €395 million while the cost of the overall complex is €609 million. This is an investment in the future, and a commitment that will stand the test of time.
Terminal 2, will deliver additional capacity to cater for comfortable passenger growth at Dublin Airport of up to 35 million passengers per year. Approximately 40% of the overall passenger traffic will use T2. The remaining 60%, comprising all short haul services to the UK and Continental Europe, other than those of Aer Lingus will continue to operate from Terminal 1. It is anticipated that close to 8 million passengers will travel through T2 in its first full year of operation. This however is just the start. It is the basis upon which future growth will emerge.
The new terminal, as a well designed 21st century building, offers all the benefits of contemporary design and systems. It maximises the use of light and space and the latest technology to ensure the passenger journey is as comfortable, safe and efficient as possible.
U.S. Preclearance
Terminal 2 and Pier E will offer very specific and unique benefits for US bound passengers and for their carrier airlines. Under the preclearance agreement that Ireland signed with the United States in 2008, passengers on all U.S. bound flights can be fully cleared for U.S. immigration, customs, agriculture and security purposes before leaving Ireland. This means that on landing in the U.S. passengers will be treated as if they had arrived from a U.S. domestic airport and therefore not have to face further U.S. entry controls.
U.S. preclearance has been operational at Shannon since August 2009. It is scheduled to commence here at T2 early in the New Year. Shannon and Dublin are the only two airports outside of the Americas to offer this service. I regard the commercial and economic benefits of U.S. preclearance as very important, not alone for the DAA but for the Dublin region and Ireland as a whole.
The Need for T2
Terminal 1, which was built in the 1970s to meet the growing passenger demand of the time has served us very well and will continue to play a very important role into the future. However, in the decade up to 2005 there was a near 8% compound increase in average passenger volumes each year at Dublin Airport. Numbers had grown from some 8 million passengers in 1995 to over 18 million in 2005. This rate of growth put facilities at the airport under serious pressure particularly at peak periods. There was, and still is, a strategic imperative to respond to this level of growth.
I believe that the Government mandate to the DAA in 2005 to invest in significant new facilities and in particular a new passenger terminal, was correct. Indeed passenger numbers continued to grow right up to an all time high of 23.5 million in 2008.
The decline in passenger numbers to 20.5 million in 2009 was the first such decline since 1991.
The aviation industry has been through tough times in the last few years. A world wide recession has dented consumer confidence, cut passenger numbers and hit jobs and profits. While passenger numbers continue to decline, it is commonly accepted by airports, airlines and aircraft manufacturers that robust growth will return to the industry once the world economy recovers. We have placed Dublin and the country in a position with this strategic investment to cater for significant growth well into the future.
Therefore the underlying imperative that set the DAA investment programme in train in 2005, namely to provide space, comfort and high quality service standards to the users of Dublin Airport, remains as valid today as it was five years ago.
The Future
T2 was designed and built not just for this year or the next but for many decades into the future. To view it through the prism of the current downturn would be short-sighted in the extreme. By investing prudently in improved facilities we are laying the foundations for future growth and prosperity not just for Dublin Airport, but also for the wider Irish economy.
Dublin Airport was officially opened on January 19th 1940 when an Aer Lingus, Lockheed 14 aircraft, departed from Dublin for Liverpool. At the time the world was at war and the prospects for the new airport were, to say the least, not good. Great foresight was shown at the time in opening an airport in such a turbulent time for the world. That foresight has been well rewarded by the development of this airport since then culminating in this fine facility that it is my privilege to open today.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the DAA for what they have achieved here today. They have delivered a key infrastructural project that will help secure long-term growth for the company, Dublin and the country at large for many years to come. T2 has been built on time, on budget and to a standard that will provide the necessary space, comfort and service quality for its customers.
DAA and all who were involved in the construction of this fine building are to be congratulated. Representing as it does the gateway of the future that we all want for Ireland - T2 is something that all of us can feel really proud of.
Thank you.
ENDS