Dublin seeks Chinese link

Today's Irish Times reports that the Dublin Airport Authority has signed an agreement with Oriental Sky, a Chinese aviation services consultancy group to help the DAA secure direct air services to Beijing. The agreement was signed during the Irish trade delegation visit China this week.

As doing business in China is all about having the right contacts, Oriental Sky is the equivalent of the DAA's agent with the remit of talking to Chinese airlines on the DAA's  behalf. Oriental provided support to the DAA when they made a presentation to Air China and Hainan Airlines during the week.

According to the paper,in 2007,  47,000 passengers connected to Beijing out of Dublin with 35,000 to Hong Kong and 12,000 to Shanghai, or almost 2,000 per week. All these passengers hubbed through other airports such as Amsterdam, London, Paris and Frankfurt. In addition, almost 7,000 Chinese tourists visit Ireland each year, a figure that will only grow.

With airlines dropping like flies and those left standing cutting routes, the DAA must be nervously watching the completion of Terminal 2 at Dublin wondering who will fill it's floors when the doors open in 2010.