A €288 million long-term loan has been confirmed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to daa, the operator of Dublin and Cork airports, to accelerate decarbonisation efforts, the EIB announced on February 16, 2026.
The financing will support a €627 million programme of sustainability projects at Dublin Airport, focused on cutting carbon emissions, improving water efficiency and establishing the airport as a more sustainable transport gateway to Europe. Daa has also secured a €2.335 million grant from the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), supplementing the EIB’s investment.
According to the EIB, the combined financial backing represents a “unified European approach” to modernising and decarbonising Ireland’s key transport hubs. Individual projects included in the sustainability programme will focus on large-scale electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across the Dublin Airport campus, as well as upgrades to water and wastewater treatment facilities.
The investment aligns with daa’s commitment, made in 2019, to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, a goal shared by nearly 200 other European airports and consistent with the European Commission’s decarbonisation strategy. Dublin Airport was the first airport in Ireland to achieve accreditation in 2020 for its carbon reduction efforts.
EIB Vice President Ioannis Tsakiris stated the loan represents a “major step towards decarbonising Irish transport infrastructure, as well as improving air quality.” The financing is part of the EIB’s broader climate action and environmental sustainability priorities.
The projects are intended to improve resilience and the overall passenger experience at Dublin Airport, according to daa. The EIB loan and CEF grant are expected to contribute to making Dublin Airport one of Europe’s most sustainable transport gateways.
