Competition Commission blocks Aer Rianta from buying car park near airport

[Brendan Burgess]

Holidaymakers face another summer of car parking shortages as regulators block Dublin Airport bid

Competition commission fears allowing deal would lead to higher prices for consumers

www.irishtimes.com

I had never used this car park as I live near enough to the airport to get the bus or a taxi.

But it seems to me that it makes sense for Aer Rianta to own all the parking and coordinate it. Sure, that does reduce competition which is a risk. But it's more efficient and it's a state company rather than a private company.

If someone else buys this site and uses it for something else, it will be a huge barrier to the development of the airport.

Presumably if Aer Rianta bought a vacant site not being used for parking and used it for parking, the Commission would not and could not object.

Brendan

 

[Luternau]

Its great news it was blocked. DAA are already behaving like a monopoly with their introduction of dynamic pricing. It never got cheaper than before dynamic pricing, just went up.

If they want to make more parking available, why not build modular steel ports above ground level on the land they own (a lot I may add). You see these in other airports but not Dublin. Its just a massive sprawl. Just one over ground level would almost double capacity. They could run the shuttles more efficiently (fuller) without having to establish a 4th one to another site.

My belief is it was it was being purchased so that they would have no competition for a service (parking) they make a lot of money from and plan to make even more from.

DAA already own a lot of land around the airport but can it be said they are making best use of it?