Ryanair called on Irish prime minister Micheal Martin to pass legislation scrapping what the airline describes as an “outdated and damaging” traffic cap at Dublin Airport, before Ireland’s parliament breaks for the summer period on July 17, 2025.
The Dublin Airport passenger cap restricts the airport to 32 million passengers annually. This was suspended by the Irish High Court in April, pending the outcome of a legal challenge that has been referred to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
During 2024, Dublin exceeded this 32 million passenger cap, with 33.3 million people passing through its two terminals, a 4% jump on the year prior.
State regulator, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) had indicated that it would take the passenger cap into account when allocating take-off and landing slots to airlines at Dublin.
Ryanair noted that despite the country’s new government being in power for five months, it has failed to scrap the passenger cap at Ireland’s busiest airport.
“The (Irish) government won a substantial majority for its promise to scrap the Dublin Airport traffic cap. Over five months into their first term, they now need to deliver this programme promise without further delay,” said Micheal O’Leary, Ryanair CEO.
Earlier this week, aviation investment group Irelandia issued a new report aimed at reinforcing Ireland's position within the global aviation market. Within the report the group also highlighted how they believe the passenger cap at Dublin Airport should be removed. The plan calls for legislative amendments to facilitate growth and streamline planning processes, transferring noise regulation responsibilities to the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) in line with ICAO standards.
The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) is seeking to raise the passenger cap to 40 million passengers, in order to accommodate increasing demand.