An unidentified Middle East investment consortium is reported to be advancing plans for an international airport near Arklow in Co Wicklow.
The Business Post reports that the consortium has agreed provisional deals with local farmers and families to purchase 600 acres of land.
A consultant acting on behalf of the group says the project will require at least 800 acres, but the group is targeting the purchase of 1,000 acres of land.
The developers claim the location – outside the operating airspace controlled by Dublin Airport and with existing motorway infrastructure – offers a “genuine alternative to Dublin Airport” at significantly lower cost to airlines.
However, Wicklow County Council said it has yet to receive any contact about the plans.
This is not the first time that such a proposal has been mooted.
In 2010, plans backed by businessman Pascal Taggart envisaged Arklow becoming an international transit hub. The idea of an international airport was given an enthusiastic welcome by members of Wicklow County Council, The Irish Times reported at the time.
