Ryanair, Ireland’s leading airline, has issued a strong call to the Irish government to abolish the 32 million passenger traffic cap at Dublin Airport. The airline argues that this cap is stifling the growth of Irish tourism and driving up airfare costs.
Ryanair’s concerns stem from the recent notification that airlines operating from Dublin Airport will not be allocated additional slots for upcoming winter holiday flights and major sporting events, including Rugby Internationals and Premier League matches. The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has proposed further reducing the Summer 2025 traffic by up to one million passengers to comply with the cap. Ryanair warns that this move will significantly harm Irish tourism, threaten jobs, and lead to a considerable increase in ticket prices for Irish families planning holidays in 2025.
The traffic cap was originally introduced in 2007 to manage road congestion anticipated with Dublin Airport reaching 32 million passengers. However, Ryanair points out that this concern is outdated due to improved public transportation options, like bus services, which have effectively alleviated road traffic congestion around the airport.
Ryanair asserts that the cap is unnecessary and detrimental, advocating for its removal to foster tourism growth and economic benefits. Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s CEO, has been calling for the scrapping of this “stupid 2007 traffic cap” for two years. He criticizes Transport Minister Eamon Ryan for failing to act, arguing that the cap’s validity is no longer relevant and that Minister Ryan should instruct the IAA to disregard it.
Dublin Airport’s recent inauguration of a second runway has expanded its capacity to accommodate up to 60 million passengers annually. Despite this significant enhancement, the Transport Minister has not taken any steps to eliminate the outdated traffic cap. Ryanair has now extended its call to the wider Irish government, led by Simon Harris, to urgently remove this limitation and enable the expansion of Irish tourism and employment opportunities for 2025.
The potential consequences of maintaining the cap are severe. If the IAA’s current proposals are implemented, Dublin-based airlines will be unable to increase flights during the upcoming Christmas season. Moreover, the projected reduction in available seats by one million during the summer of 2025 is expected to severely impact Irish tourism and employment, leading to a spike in airfare costs for Irish citizens and their families planning vacations.
Ryanair emphasizes the critical need for government action to allow Dublin Airport’s traffic to grow, keeping air travel affordable for the public. They argue that Irish tourism and jobs should not be hampered by a 17-year-old, outdated planning restriction or an incompetent Transport Minister. The airline believes that an effective Transport Minister would scrap this cap, and since Minister Ryan has not acted, they are now calling on the wider Irish government to remove the cap and allow Dublin Airport, Irish airlines, and Irish tourism to continue to expand Irish traffic and jobs in Winter 2024 and Summer 2025.
