Aer Rianta was to serve as a holding company for the national airline and to promote aviation generally.

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.

[13] The DAA was chosen for the Special Achievement in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) award ahead of 300,000 global candidates, using mapping software from GIS expert ESRI Ireland and working with the company to develop a new system to manage assets at the airport.

[14] In 2020, Covid was “the most serious crisis that has ever faced the international aviation sector and our business,” according to then CEO Dalton Philips.

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.

[24] 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.

[26] In 2022, DAA international won a multimillion euro contract to manage Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia for five years.

[27] IN 2022, ANA Aeroportos de Portugal appointed Aer Rianta International as its partner to manage duty-free and duty-paid shops in eight locations.

[28] On 1 June 2022, then daa chief executive Dalton Philips was called to appear before the Oireachtas transport committee.

[29] 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 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".