Brexit: Airport meets Seanad
A Cork Airport chief has grounded fears of disruption to services in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
At a meeting of the Seanad Special Select Committee on the UK’s Withdrawal from the European Union at Leinster House yesterday, Dublin Airport Authority (daa) Executive Brexit Lead and Cork Airport Managing Director, Niall MacCarthy, said the daa has put in place “robust contingency measures” to effectively minimise any impact that Brexit could have on Cork and Dublin airports.
He said the “daa has established an internal Brexit planning team which has been focussed on identifying and understanding all of the potential impacts which Brexit could bring for our airports.”
In his address, Mr MacCarthy provided the committee with a brief overview of the implications of a no-deal Brexit for Irish aviation.
Mr MacCarthy began by reassuring the committee that the daa expects flights to continue to operate as normal at Dublin and Cork Airports in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
“If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, emergency regulation will come into force at EU level to protect air connectivity for passengers and freight between the EU and the UK,” said Mr MacCarthy.
He then turned his attention to the implications of a no-deal Brexit for passengers departing daa airports.
He explained: “In terms of security processes, there will be no changes or additional requirements for UK-bound passengers departing from Irish airports.
“Furthermore, passengers departing from Irish airports to UK airports will be able to purchase alcohol and tobacco at duty-free prices, but only in the event of no deal.”
Mr MacCarthy went on to highlight a number of minor changes to areas such as bulk cargo, immigration processing and changes to airport signage, and explained that, like all businesses, in a no-deal scenario, daa could potentially face disruptions, delays, and interruptions to its own supply chains.
“Our expectation is that the operational impacts for Irish aviation and Irish airports will be relatively minimal in a no-deal Brexit scenario and, where impacts will be experienced, I believe that daa and its key stakeholders are taking all reasonable measures to minimise any negative effects that could be experienced,” he concluded.