DAA split could be deferred for up to 3 years

RTE News this evening said that informed sources had told them that the final separation of the three state airports may be deferred for up to three years due to the crisis in the aviation sector. The idea of splitting the then airport operator Aer Rianta into three separate entities was first proposed by the Minister for Transport at the time, Seamus Brennan back in 2003. The following year, Aer Rianta was replaced by three separate airport Authorities for Dublin, Cork and Shannon. Political and union pressure led to a partial back down by the government which allowed the Dublin Authority to retain ownership of the assets of the other state airports. The initial plan also ran into trouble when the DAA resisted the governments plan to allow the SAA and CAA start life debt free with Dublin carrying the combined debt of the three airports. Cork had just completed a new terminal and the DAA refused to carry the total debt. A compromise was worked out whereby Cork assume 113 million of the 200 million cost for the new terminal with the DAA taking the balance. The DoT now say that they will announce before the end of the year if they are going to proceed with the plan as originally envisaged.