DAVID DILGER resigned yesterday as chairman of the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) and will step down from the role on May 31st.
Mr Dilger informed his fellow DAA directors at a board meeting at Dublin airport.
It is understood that he had told Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar earlier this week of his intention to step down.
In a short statement released late yesterday evening, the DAA said Mr Dilger had resigned so as to “afford more time to his broad range of other interests”.
Mr Dilger, a former chief executive of Greencore, is involved in mentoring other business people and is also an investor in a number of companies.
The role of DAA chairman is time-consuming and this may have influenced the decision of Mr Dilger, who, on leaving Greencore, expressed a desire for a more relaxed lifestyle.
Mr Dilger was paid €19,200 in 2009 as chairman of DAA.
His resignation came as a surprise to aviation industry observers, particularly in terms of its timing. The DAA has yet to publish its 2010 annual report – this is expected in mid-June. Mr Dilger only took the role in May 2009.
Both the DAA and the Department of Transport rejected suggestions there had been tensions over the approach that should be taken in relation to passenger charges and other aviation matters.
On taking office recently, Mr Varadkar indicated that he wanted passenger charges to be reduced at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports, something that Ryanair and Aer Lingus have lobbied for following steep rises in these fees in the past 18 months.
This was designed to help stimulate tourism, in parallel with the air travel tax being abolished.
But cutting airport charges is problematic for the DAA, which is servicing a near-€1 billion debt relating to the building of Terminal 2 and the upgrading of other facilities in Dublin and Cork.
Instead, on Wednesday, the DAA announced a new incentive scheme for airlines if they deliver extra passenger traffic to its three airports up to the end of 2013.
So far, this has received a muted response from Aer Lingus and Ryanair.
Mr Varadkar said he regretted Mr Dilger’s decision to step down.
“I understand from David Dilger that he wishes to resign as chairman of the DAA for personal reasons. I regret Mr Dilger’s decision to stand down, and would like to thank him for his contribution,” Mr Varadkar said.
It is not clear what process will be used to fill the DAA role. Mr Varadkar could seek to advertise it as he has done with board positions at CIÉ.
DAA chief executive Declan Collier described Mr Dilger as an “excellent chairman” but Ryanair said he would be “no loss to Irish tourism”.
