Dublin Airport’s controversial passenger cap – which currently limits the airport to dealing with 32 million passengers a year – has been temporarily suspended by the Irish High Court until the final outcome of the European legal case taken against the cap by airlines including Aer Lingus and Ryanair.
The move effectively means the passenger limit is removed for the upcoming summer and winter travel seasons.
Reacting to the news, Ryanair Group CEO, Michael O’Leary, said: “Today’s welcome High Court ruling highlights the Govts failure to act. We call on Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien to pass urgent legislation, removing Dublin Airport from the local planning process, which is wholly inadequate for national gateway infrastructure. The time for dithering and delaying is over. Dublin Airport is losing out on traffic growth, because of an 18-year-old planning restriction, which is no longer relevant.
“As President Trump today announces his tariffs on Europe, the Irish Govt must respond by making Ireland more competitive and encouraging growth. This week’s CSO figures show that visitor numbers to Ireland slumped by 30% in February, which is entirely due to the Dublin Airport traffic cap. Pass legislation, scrap this cap, and allow Ryanair to get on with delivering new routes, traffic, tourism and jobs growth.”
