DAA directors gather today in Dublin Airport for a scheduled year-end board meeting. With the fate of chief executive Kenny Jacobs still in the balance, there is much to consider.
The operator of Dublin and Cork airports would much rather discuss the Christmas rush of passengers, but the atmosphere in the upper echelons of DAA is far from festive these days. A bitter boardroom rift with Jacobs may soon reach its denouement but it has been a damaging affair for the State-owned business.
Already facing major business challenges because of planning rows and the breaching of the passenger cap in Dublin Airport, the DAA board has spent most of 2025 in an unedifying firefight with its chief executive.
Mr Jacobs was served notice last Monday morning of a preliminary board decision to suspend him on full pay, pending a new investigation into issues of concern about his conduct. He has been out of the office since then and has yet to reply to the board.
As chief executive, Jacobs is an ex officio board member. Under the law governing the State-owned airport operator, he retains that directorship. As such, he has the right to attend the board meeting. His intentions are not known. But if he chooses to attend the board meeting, he would have to leave the room during any discussion of his own case.
Still, the bigger question is whether Jacobs seeks to challenge his suspension in the High Court. As of Thursday evening, he had not exercised that option.
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