Stringent testing under way at T2
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A SERIES of stringent testing on every aspect of T2 is currently being undertaken, ahead of its planned November opening. Wary of the chaos that ensued at Heathrow Airport's new T5, the Dublin Airport Authority ( DAA) is planning a phased opening, as the landmark building edges towards completion.
' The staff are in training getting ready for what is a massive task and everything has to be tested,' the DAA's Siobhan Moore said. ' Staff have to be familiar with everything.
' In T5, they had familiarised the staff a long time before it opened and when it came to opening, they didn't have the chance to refamiliarise themselves again. We're very conscious of that.
' On day one, they had a complete full operation which, and they would agree in hindsight, is not the thing to do. The best thing to do is a gradual and phased opening of it.
' We will be doing a test flight either towards the end of October or just before it opens in November. We won't do what they did in T5.
' We also learned from a number of airports - Dubai and Barajas in Madrid both have new airports. We learned from those as well, got the feedback as to what worked, what didn't work. A phased-in approach is the most practical approach to take.'
A large-scale testing is scheduled to take place in mid-September, while the response from those involved in the process so far has been encouraging.
' We have tested various elements of the passenger journey to date,' Ms Moore continued. ' We've had staff testing out as well, but what you do need are the ' passengers' who are in a brandspanking new facility and that don't know anything about it.
' The feedback last week was hugely positive. Obviously the tests will come when it comes into proper operation in November and we're putting as much planning and preparation in as we can to make sure that everything is ironed out.'
- Robin KIELY
