The proposed summer 2025 passenger cap at Dublin Airport has been temporarily blocked and lifted by the High Court.
The aviation regulator – the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) – last month restricted the number of airline seats at Dublin Airport next summer to 25.2 million in a bid to ensure the airport stayed within its annual 32 million passenger limit.
However, Aer Lingus, Ryanair and Airlines for America – a group representing a number of large US airlines who use Dublin Airport – sought a pause on the ruling until a judicial review they are bringing runs its course.
The High Court has now allowed that pause which the airline’s sought.
It, ultimately, means there will not be the limit on passengers flying in and out of Dublin next summer.
Welcoming the news, Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary said: “It is deeply regrettable that the airlines had to take legal action to stay the idiotic cap at Dublin Airport solely because Transport Minister, Eamon Ryan, wouldn’t do his job and issue a letter to the IAA. The Dublin Airport cap is in breach of EU law and any competent Transport Minister would have acted to scrap this outdated and damaging cap.
“Today’s High Court ruling clears the way for this matter to be referred to the European Courts where Ryanair is confident that this absurd road traffic restriction from 2007 will be removed, which will enable airlines like Ryanair to continue to grow traffic, tourism, and jobs in Ireland, where two Green Ministers – Eamon Ryan and Catherine Martin – have failed to act for the last five years.
“We hope the forthcoming Election will remove the deadhanded Green Party incompetence from Irish tourism and aviation so that Ryanair can return to growing at Dublin Airport instead of sending growth to Belfast, Italy and Poland.”
