What is the daa?
DAA plc (styled "daa") (Irish: Údarás Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath cpt[1]), previously Dublin Airport Authority, is a commercial semi-state airport company in Ireland. The company owns and operates Dublin Airport and Cork Airport. Its other subsidiaries include the travel retail business Aer Rianta International[2] and DAA International.[3]
DAA previously owned and operated Shannon Airport before Shannon Airport became a separate state-owned airport at the end of 2012. The company also owned Great Southern Hotels, which had nine sites throughout the island of Ireland, until its sale in 2006. DAA's head office is located in the original passenger terminal on the grounds of Dublin Airport.
Aer Rianta was founded in 1937 as Aer Rianta Teoranta and the name is derived from the Irish language for "air ways" or "air tracks"; Teoranta is the Irish word for Limited. Aer Rianta was to serve as a holding company for the national airline and to promote aviation generally.
In 1947, Aer Rianta started the duty-free shop concept in the Shannon Airport and are credited with the invention of duty-free shops in airports.[4] Aer Rianta was the principal shareholder of Aer Lingus during the airline's early days, until 1966.[5]
Aer Rianta began managing the Dublin Airport in the 1940s.[5] Under the Air Navigation and Transport Act of 1950, Aer Rianta was given legal responsibility for the airport.[5] In 1954, Prof. Patrick Lynch was appointed chairman of Aer Rianta.[6] He retired from the position in 1975.[7]
In 1966, the passage of the Air Companies Act enabled the transfer of Aer Lingus shares to the Minister of Finance, and separate boards were appointed to each company. A general manager of Aer Rianta was appointed in 1968. On 1 April 1969, Cork and Shannon Airports became the responsibility of the company.
In 1988, Aer Rianta International (ARI) was created to pursue international potential to the company's growth not related to Irish airport management – for example, opening Russia's first duty free in Moscow in 1988. In 1998, Aer Rianta Teoranta became Aer Rianta cpt and kept this name until 2004.
In 2004, the Oireachtas passed the State Airports Act, 2004. This changed the company name from Aer Rianta cpt to Dublin Airport Authority plc, and established Shannon Airport Authority plc and Cork Airport Authority plc. The three new authorities had power to formulate business plans for their respective airports, however they would not take charge of running the airports until a further date to be determined by the Minister for Transport, which by law could not be before 1 May 2005. As of 2008[update] this had yet to take place. Significant outstanding issues to be resolved include competitiveness and debit restructuring.
The company also retains its significant shareholdings in foreign airports such as Düsseldorf and Larnaca, through its wholly owned subsidiary ARI, Aer Rianta International.
The State Airports Act was heavily criticised by Noel Hanlon, the outgoing chairman of Aer Rianta, and by the company's unions, who believed it a precursor to privatisation. No act to privatise Dublin Airport Authority or any of the airports has been passed however.
The Dublin Airport Authority was officially renamed DAA with effect from November 2014.[8]
In 2016, DAA paid a €18.3m dividend to the State, its first since 2009.[9]In May 2018, Basil Geoghegan was named chairman of the company.[10] In January 2023, Kenny Jacobs was appointed as its CEO.[11]
In 1990, the nine Great Southern Hotels were purchased from Córas Iompair Éireann, and sold again in 2006. Edward Holdings, a company controlled by Galway businessman Gerry Barrett bought the Killarney, Eyre Square and Corrib hotels, while Dublin developer Bernard McNamara has bought the Parknasilla hotel in County Kerry. A company controlled by Ronan McArdle, Frank McArdle, Alan McIntosh and the Walsh brothers has acquired the three airport hotels at Dublin, Cork and Shannon.[12]
Dublin Airport is the state's largest airport. It handled 31.5m passengers in 2018.[13]
A court case arose in 2014 regarding a proposed contract to be let by daa for a range of airport facilities services at Dublin Airport. OCS One Complete Solution, the incumbent contractor, challenged the daa's decision to award a new contract to Maybin Support Services Ltd., which led to a High Court hearing. Provisions under EU utilities procurement regulations, which include procurement in the transport sector, require an option for unsuccessful tenderers to be able to challenge an award decision if they have suitable grounds and provide for an automatic suspension of the new contract award process until the challenge has been resolved. This was the first occasion when the High Court ruled on a request for this automatic suspension to be lifted. The court ruled in favour of leaving the suspension in place.[14]
Aer Rianta International operates travel retail/duty free outlets in 10 countries, with stores in countries such as Canada, Cyprus, India and New Zealand.[15] It also has outlets in several countries in the Middle East and in 2015 won a 10-year contract to operate duty-free stores at the new Midfield Terminal Building in Abu Dhabi International Airport.[16]
In 2016, DAA International won the contract to manage the new Terminal 5 at King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.[17]
On 1 June 2022, then daa chief executive Dalton Philips was called to appear before the Oireachtas transport committee.[18] following multiple days of prolonged queues, more than 1,000 passengers missing a flight in one day and providing no guarantee that such queues would not return was described by Minister of State in the Department of Finance, Seán Fleming as a "reflection of bad management, full stop". The Taoiseach said the delays are "unacceptable for passengers and their families."[19]
In May 2021, Philips had defended the decision to lay off 2,000 of daa's 7,750 staff, despite the State backstop in place at the time as necessary stating "if you had that [bailout] mentality, it’s all over...we have to carry our own water." The decision to fire so many staff was criticised in June 2022 in Dáil Éireann, with deputies claiming that the resultant airport delays had made Ireland in to a "laughing stock".[18]
We are a global airport and travel retail group with businesses in 15 countries around the world. daa’s principal activities include operating and managing Dublin and Cork airports, global airport retailing through our subsidiary Aer Rianta International, and international aviation consultancy through daa International. The company is state-owned and headquartered at Dublin Airport.
Our vision is to be airport industry leaders.
Our purpose is to connect Ireland with the world.
Rebuilding.
Our strategic focus, ‘Rebuilding our Group Together’, was launched in 2021 to restore the business following the seismic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation sector.
Reconnecting.
Our recovery plans are intrinsically linked to our purpose; to reconnect Ireland, its people and businesses, to the rest of the world, safely and sustainably.
Ready.
Distributed Access Architecture (DAA) is a method used to decentralize cable networks by relocating select functions that have typically resided in the headend or hub to intelligent fiber nodes, closer to the subscriber. Moving these operations away from the hub helps to relieve the space, hardware, and cooling constraints of the headend as node counts and traffic continue to grow exponentially. A 10Gb Ethernet fiber link is used to connect the remaining components to the intelligent node, replacing the previous analog optical link.
As distributed access architecture has taken shape, variations have evolved that strategically shift layers of network functionality downstream. Remote physical layer architecture (R-PHY) moves the modulation and demodulation to the fiber node and leaves other functionality at the hub or headend. Remote PHY has been the most widely adopted DAA architecture to date due to the mature CableLabs specifications and wide variety of available equipment.
Remote MAC-PHY, or R-MACPHY, relocates both the PHY layer and processing MAC layer to the node. This option leaves only servers, switches, and routers at the headend or potentially enables their migration into datacenters. The PTP timing issues caused by the separation of the PHY and MAC layers are eliminated with R-MACPHY, since their network functionality is once again integrated.
Resource:
Distributed CCAP is a subset of distributed access architecture that is based on the converged cable access platform introduced in 2011. CCAP technology was originally designed to upgrade and replace the cable modem termination systems (CMTS) at the headend by unifying all switching, routing, and QAM functions and transmitting data and video from the same device.
The migration to distributed access architecture provides a case in point for measured and far-sighted approaches to deployment as the sands of technology shift. A staged deployment can be the most cost effective, since OPEX logistics become more complex as network functionality migrates from the headend to the nodes.
DAA architecture based on IP also introduces a new set of technician skills and processes that differs from traditional RF technology. This highlights the importance of advanced, architecture-neutral DAA test solutions with intuitive interfaces and workflows designed to seamlessly bridge the gap between legacy architecture and DAA networks.
DAA deployment hurdles include the assessment of jitter and timing for R-PHY deployments and the complete re-verification of all planned and existing services to be delivered over the new platform. Repurposing any legacy analog fiber for high-speed Ethernet also requires a thorough assessment of the fiber dispersion than can lead to10G Ethernet performance degradation.
Although the level of equipment changeover depends on the architecture selected, a common ingredient for any distributed access architecture deployment is the extensive retrofitting of digital nodes and the deeper digital fiber runs that connect to them. Although deployment strategies may differ substantially, the need for ongoing distributed architecture deployment to address consumer demand is no longer in question.
The most obvious initial benefits of distributed access architecture are the space, power, and HVAC resource reductions at the headend (hub) location. This becomes increasingly valuable as subscriber rates and bandwidths multiply and improvements in traditional headend equipment efficiency and density struggle to keep up.
Digital optical links ultimately lead to lower operation and maintenance costs and improved network visibility. The transition to digital fiber also improves spectral efficiency with more wavelengths utilized per fiber and longer distances (80km) traversed with higher throughput than analog fiber. Relocating the PHY layer closer to the end user also produces improvements in speed, noise reduction, and modulation as a direct result of the change.
With the scope of headend operations reduced, the equipment can be consolidated with more service groups potentially originating from the same physical space. This helps set the stage for gigabit-plus broadband by producing a standards-based, scalable architecture that aligns with the FTTx build-out model. DAA deployment also provides a platform for cable operators to continually integrate virtualization elements into their networks, making net gains in efficiency and service velocity possible.
As with any significant advancement, distributed access architecture also creates inherent challenges that must be overcome. The crowded headend of centralized access architecture (CAA) still provides some advantages in maintenance logistics, since equipment and connections are centrally located. DAA disperses service and troubleshooting to include any remote or potentially “environmentally challenging” locations of the fiber nodes. These node locations can also be subject to vandalism or other unexpected damage.
Distributed access architecture also introduces interoperability issues, as vendors rapidly develop and deploy their own proprietary equipment. These interoperability challenges, along with synchronization, leakage, and noise testing, are further complicated by the physical separation of network functionality. Although some of these challenges can be mitigated through R-MACPHY architecture, many cable operators prefer to wait for R-MACPHY specifications and solutions to mature.
By creating an efficient method that provides more symmetric bandwidth for data hungry customers, DAA has become an enabling technology for cable network expansion. The potential challenges of DAA are vastly outweighed by the benefits, although innovative modes of planning, testing, and interoperability are essential for continued success.
The process of driving digital fiber optic technology closer to the customer to improve efficiency and performance is known as fiber deep. The type of fiber deep deployment known as Node+0 is the most extreme form, with the optical fiber extending all the way from the headend to the last-mile fiber node providing service to the end user, and all amplifiers removed from the lines except for those in the nodes themselves.
Very few cable industry operators have significant plans for node+0 today, as most are reducing amplifier cascades down to node+3 with plans to evaluate the economics of n+0 vs fiber to the home (FTTH) in the future. N+0 is currently a prerequisite to future deployment of Full-Duplex DOCSIS (FDX), enabling broad flexibility in utilization of spectrum for upstream vs downstream bandwidth addressing the push for near-symmetrical services. Fiber deep in concert with distributed access architecture produces another viable alternative to FTTH with a less extensive overhaul of existing infrastructure required. The potent combination of DOCSIS, DAA, and fiber deep have empowered the existing hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) infrastructure to offer gigabit services and keep pace with speed and bandwidth demands.
In addition to meeting the current and future broadband capacity demands, fiber deep is also considered a pivotal element of successful 5G implementation. The network densification and manifold increase in wireless traffic accompanying 5G cannot be supported without a monumental increase in deep fiber infrastructure. In this way, DAA can become a complimentary platform for 5G wireless expansion.
Despite the numerous advantages of distributed access architecture, many in the cable industry have taken a measured approach to adoption. The sunken investment in existing centralized access architecture (CAA) infrastructure can influence transition planning from the ROI or cost perspectives. Some networks simply are not large enough or growing fast enough to justify the additional CAPEX. For other cable operators, hubs overloaded with CCAP equipment still cannot meet the demand, and the burden on headend architecture is an insurmountable bottleneck.
Aside from the investment considerations, security is another potential advantage of CAA, since a central headend location can be securely locked, and access can be closely monitored to prevent equipment or data theft and sabotage. Maintenance and service responsibilities associated with DAA can also be an influential factor, since the distributed access architecture approach potentially requires travelling to a wide geographic area for recovery tasks that could once be performed in a controlled, central location.
A Data Access Arrangement (DAA) is an electronic interface within a computer and its modem to a public telephone line. A DAA is also sometimes called a Telephone Line Interface Circuit (or Module).
