Plans to place a limit on the volume of night flights at Dublin Airport have been shelved following the EU ruling them unlawful.
The European Commission has ruled that the plan for a cap on the number of night flights at Dublin Airport breached EU law, as Ireland’s planning appeals body – An Coimisiún Pleanála – failed to abide by EU rules when deciding to introduce the movement restrictions at the airport’s new runway.
It means no cap may be imposed until a time when An Coimisiún Pleanála can show the Commission it has met EU law by showing it has looked at every option for noise control at Dublin Airport.
The planning body is reviewing the EU ruling and has not decided whether it will return to the flight cap option.
Ryanair – which has called for the wider passenger cap at Dublin Airport to be removed before St Patrick’s Day, now that the legislation to do so has been passed – was quick out of the blocks with a typically bullish response; group chief executive Michael O’Leary saying: “Micheál “Do Nothing” Martin published a Programme for Government 14 months ago, in January 2025, in which he promised his Government – with a 20-seat majority – would scrap Dublin Airport’s cap “as soon as possible”. Now, the EU Commission has embarrassingly moved before his Government to find An Coimisúin Pleanála’s night-time cap to be in breach of EU law. When will Micheál “Do Nothing” Martin do something to stop these artificial caps being applied by local planning bodies by passing legislation before St Patrick’s Day to scrap caps at Dublin Airport for the benefit of jobs, our tourism industry and our economy?”
