Flights should be diverted to regional airports to help with congestion at Dublin Airport.
That's according to Limerick Chamber, which is calling on the Department of Transport to "compel" the daa to partner with airports in the regions to solve its capacity crisis.
Dee Ryan, CEO of Limerick Chamber, told The Hard Shoulder she believes this makes sense.
"When observing, on the one hand, this absolute chaos and congestion at [Dublin] Airport and then on the other hand significant, underutilised capacity at State-owned and State-funded airports in the regions, it would appear a pragmatic step for Dublin Airport to engage with the management of the other [airports]".
She says using Shannon, Cork, Ireland West and Kerry airports for Dublin-bound flights is not unheard of.
"If there was fog on the runway your flight would be diverted to a nearby airport and you'd be bused back up to the terminal building.
"I don't see what is preventing the daa - except for perhaps a Dublin-centric mindset - from engaging with the regional airports in this their hour and need".
Put to her that moving flights across the country would annoy tourists, she says transport links are there.
"There'd be potentially the inconvenience on some tourism [sic] who were expecting to arrive into Dublin.
"But, as a Department of Transport official once told me when I was engaging in lobbying for investment into regional airports, there's a fine motorway connection to Dublin - you can make use of it.
"And in this instance I would point out that the motorway goes in both directions.
"So with adequate coach supports put on at the regional airports - and for some passengers, with enough notice, they can make their own arrangements to travel directly from the regional airports.
"Remember not everybody leaving from Dublin Airport is originating in the Dublin area - in fact, most of the country has to travel to Dublin to get on a flight".
'Unregulated' growth of Dublin
And she believes 'unregulated' growth of Dublin Airport means it will just keep getting bigger.
"Before the pandemic, Shannon Airport would have been operating at about 36% capacity with 1.6 million passengers in 2019.
"Dublin Airport in the same year was 32.7 million passengers.
"So we're really in a situation in Ireland where there's so much piling into Dublin, it's drawing more into Dublin.
"And unless - in our view - the State intervenes with policies to either direct or incentivise flights to go to regional airports, we're not going to see that change organically".
