Daa’s bid to boost the annual passenger limit at Dublin Airport from 32 million to 36 million has failed, with Fingal County Council ruling the application “invalid”.
The Council said the application didn’t comply with planning and development regulations and was misleading.
“It is also invalid because the proposed description of the development in the public notices is non-compliant with the relevant regulations and is inadequate and misleading,” Fingal County Council said.
Daa – which operates both Dublin and Cork airports – said it was baffled by the outcome and called for Dublin Airport planning decisions to be made on a national level instead of a local level.
The airport operator said: “daa lodged this straightforward ‘no build’ application to provide a short-term solution to the planning cap impasse but FCC refuses to be pragmatic about this issue of national importance, despite allowing for 40 million in its own development plan.
“This ‘Snakes and Ladders’ approach to planning shows why decisions about Dublin Airport should be made at a national level by ABP and not locally by FCC.”
Earlier this week, Daa annual figures for 2024 showed Dublin Airport breached its 32 million cap, with 33.3 million people travelling through its two terminals last year. That was 4% up on the previous year and with the airport operator dampening demand in a bid to adhere to the limit. Without such efforts, a further 1 million people would have used the airport last year.
A total of 171 days last year saw a daily total of more than 100,000 passengers.
Daa chief executive Kenny Jacobs has called for Dublin Airport to be reclassified as strategic infrastructure, in terms of planning decisions.
Mr Jacobs also said the question of the Dublin Airport passenger cap will be with us for at least another year, as it will take the European Court of Justice that timeframe to rule on the cap.
