CONSTRUCTION of Dublin Airport's new passenger terminal (T2) is on schedule for completion before the end of 2009 and passengers will begin to use the new facility in 24 months time, according to the Chairman of the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), Gary McGann.

Following the timely and cost-effective delivery of the new Pier D boarding gates and the Area 14 check-in facility during 2007, he said the DAA was determined to open T2 on time and on schedule and to meet its objective of transforming the passenger experience at Dublin Airport, as quickly as possible.

Mr McGann was speaking in Dublin ) at the publication of the DAA's financial performance for 2007. The Group announced profits from normal trading activities of €109m for the year ending December 31, 2007, an increase of 56 per cent on equivalent profits of €69.5m the previous year.

Total passenger numbers through Dublin, Shannon and Cork Airports exceeded the 30m level for the first time during 2007, rising by eight per cent to 30.1m.

Passenger traffic at Dublin Airport continued to grow strongly last year, the 16th consecutive year of higher volumes. The 10 per cent increase in Dublin Airport's passenger numbers to 23.2m leaves Dublin as currently the eighth busiest airport in Europe, and the 14th busiest in the world in terms of international passengers.

"The DAA's key focus in terms of transforming the passenger experience is now at Dublin Airport," said DAA Chief Executive, Declan Collier. Delivery of Pier D has laid down a clear marker as to the quality of passenger facilities the DAA intends to put in place and very significant progress has already been made towards delivering the centrepiece of the whole Transformation Programme, T2.

"The recent erection of the first steel supports for the new terminal provides passengers and other airport customers with visual confirmation not only of the rapid progress being made, but also of the position of the new terminal relative to existing facilities," Mr Collier said.