Michael O’Leary Urges Government to Expedite Pledge to End Dublin Passenger Cap

By
Geoff Percival
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LISBON, PORTUGAL - FEBRUARY 07: Ryanair Group CEO Michael O'Leary gestures while making a point during a press conference on the future of the company's operations in the Portuguese market, and to announce 14 new routes in its major summer program for Portugal, allowing a 22 percent increase during 2024 in Portuguese traffic, on February 07, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. Michael O'Leary complained regarding the lack of action by the Portuguese government regarding opening of Montijo airport, and ANA's increase in airport taxes that is forcing airlines to reduce regional flights to and from Portugal. (Photo by Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

Ryanair has called on the new Government to make haste on its election promise of ending the controversial passenger cap at Dublin Airport.

The call was made as the British Government indicated its support for a second runway to meet demand at London’s Gatwick Airport.

Ryanair said Dublin Airport now has capacity for 50 million passengers a year, but its growth and competitiveness is being harmed by an outdated planning restriction from 2007.

Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary said: “We welcome the fact that the new Govt led, by Micheál Martin, has committed in its Programme for Govt to abolish the Dublin Airport traffic cap. However, we are now entering March, 3 months into the life of this new Govt, and still no action has been taken to abolish this cap. The airlines have successfully appealed this outdated and unlawful traffic cap to the European Courts, but the better solution will be for the Govt to abolish this stupid cap, which can be done either through legislation or the simple means of the Transport Minister issuing a direction to the IAA to ignore this outdated and unlawful cap.

“Today the UK Govt has indicated that it will approve the construction of a 2nd runway in Gatwick in order to deliver growth for the UK economy. Dublin Airport already has a 2nd runway, but the airlines can’t use it because of an idiotic 18 year old road traffic cap, which should be scraped by Govt as a matter of urgency. The Irish economy needs more traffic, more jobs and more tourism growth, and enabling all airlines to use the 2nd runway by abolishing this 18 year old traffic cap is the way forward. We have not a moment to lose. Scrap the cap now, and allow the airlines to return to growth at Dublin and Ireland in 2025 before Gatwick gets its second runway.” 

Mr O’Leary’s renewed calls for the scrapping of the Dublin passenger cap follows like-minded calls, this week, from International Air Transport Association (IATA) chief, Willie Walsh; Aer Lingus CEO Lynne Embleton; and Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) CEO, Paul Gallagher; who suggested Irish airlines may end up suffering retaliatory limits on how many flights they can land at certain international airports the longer the cap is in place.

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