Dublin Airport’s passenger cap means Ireland will gradually “lose business to the UK and Europe”, the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation has claimed.
Currently, the airport can cater for 32 million passengers annually but has lodged a planning application asking for that figure to be increased to 40 million.
On Newstalk Breakfast, Irish Tourism Industry Confederation CEO Eoghan O’Mara Walsh described the cap as the “biggest single handbrake on growth”.
“About 70% of the Irish tourism economy is made up of international visitation,” he said.
“So, if we want to grow in the future – and we’re cautiously optimistic – some of the obstacles and the roadblocks need to be moved out of the way.
“The biggest single one is the passenger cap at Dublin Airport; Cork is doing fairly well, Shannon is doing fairly well – but growth at those airports is never going to compensate for lost business at Dublin.
“So, it’s a big, big issue and the incoming Government has got to get real and it’s got to get serious about it.”
Ryanair has previously said the passenger cap means it has “been forced” to shift routes and jobs to Italy from Ireland.
It is something that Mr O’Mara Walsh believes will be forced to do as well.
“It does need to be tackled urgently,” he said.
“It’s been rumbling on for ages and the problem is it causes great uncertainty.
“The aircraft is the definition of a mobile asset and the airlines who would be talking to Dublin or considering Ireland and are coming up against the cap and can’t get slots, they will go elsewhere.
“We’ll lose business to the UK or Europe.”
Planes at Dublin Airport. Picture by: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin.Mr O’Mara Walsh said connectivity at Dublin Airport is vital for a whole variety of industries – not just tourism.
“I speak from a tourism perspective but this is as important for foreign direct investment, for exports, for the whole economy,” he said.
“I think it’s the biggest strategic economic issue that the incoming Government has got to face.
“So, I think it has to be given top priority.”
Outgoing Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has declined to comment on the passenger cap – insisting it is a matter for Fingal County Council.
However, other members of the Green Party, such as former MEP Ciarán Cuffe, have opposed raising it because of their concern about its impact on carbon emissions.
Main image: Dublin Airport. Picture by: PA Archive/PA Images.
