Aer Lingus Moving To T2

Aer Lingus has confirmed that it will move into the new Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport when it opens in November.

The T2 building houses a new United States Customer and Border Protection facility. A similar facility is already operating in Shannon Airport. It allows passengers travelling to the United States to fully clear US immigration, customs and agriculture controls before leaving Ireland.

Dublin and Shannon are the only locations outside North America to offer US CBP facilities, and Aer Lingus hopes it will increase the attractiveness of Ireland as a transfer point between Europe and the US.

The airline and Dublin Airport Authority have also agreed to boost transfer and other traffic at the airport. Aer Lingus says the move into the new terminal will have no significant impact on the company's operating costs.

But it warned the DAA that it will review its decision to operate from T2 if prices are increased in the future.

Aer Lingus chief executive Christopher Mueller said it was "a significant moment in the history of Irish aviation"

"It will enable Aer Lingus to improve the overall airport experience for our passengers and staff," he said.

DAA chief executive Declan Collier said they were delighted that Aer Lingus had agreed to move operations to the new terminal.

"We believe the opening of full CBP facilities will provide significant opportunities for future development," he said.

Meanwhile, Aer Lingus also announced that it is giving up the lease on its Head Office building at the Airport.

Employees, administrative and support services will move into Hangar 6, and other sites at the airport controlled by the company.

The Hangar 6 building has modern office space for more than 350 staff and plenty of parking facilities.

The airline says the old headquarters building needs refurbishment and was too big for its requirements.

Aer Lingus holds a 99-year lease on the old building which does not expire until 2062.

The Dublin Airport Authority will pay Aer Lingus €10.5 million over the next ten years for the leasehold interest on the head office site, and will provide services and facilities to the value of €11.6 million over the same period, bringing the total cost of the deal to €22.05 million

The move could clear the way for a potentially lucrative development on the site of the old headquarters building.

Plans were drawn up several years ago for a hotel, office and leisure scheme that would include Dublin Airport stop for the new Metro North rail connection to the city centre, which is due to be built by 2016.

But it's not clear if such a development is still commercially viable, given the nosedive in Irish economic fortunes since it was conceived.

In any case, the site has huge potential - it's at the heart of the airport campus, within walking distance of the new Terminal 2.