New extension to Dublin airport

The extension to Dublin Airport has opened

An expansion to Dublin Airport to cater for 27,000 travellers every day has opened.

The £84m Pier D will be used mainly by short-haul aircraft on routes to Great Britain and Europe.

Opening Pier D, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said the project was "essential to cope with unprecedented volumes of tourists and immigrants".

The Dublin Airport Authority said Pier D will improve the experience of passengers on low-cost airlines.

Six of the 12 boarding gates opened on Monday, and the remainder will open early next year.

About 10 million passengers can use the facility each year, or half the number of passengers that currently use the airport.

The development is part of a £1.4bn investment by the Dublin Airport Authority over the next decade.