In a significant development, the proposed passenger cap on Dublin Airport for the upcoming summer season has been temporarily halted due to a ruling by the High Court. Originally, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) had set a limit of 25.2 million passenger seats from late March through October. However, this decision has been paused just as the summer slots were about to be allocated.
Leading airlines including Aer Lingus, Ryanair, and several American airlines challenged the IAA’s restrictive measure. They argued that the cap on seats would significantly impact their operations, particularly affecting their ability to retain crucial take-off and landing slots under the “use them or lose them” rule.
The seat limitation was established by the IAA with the aim of keeping the airport’s annual throughput under the maximum of 32 million passengers. This cap was a part of the 2007 planning permission agreement for the construction of Terminal Two.
This issue came to the forefront when Ryanair disclosed that Leinster Rugby would have to relocate departures for some of its away matches to Belfast due to the restrictions at Dublin Airport. The Dublin-based rugby team plans to use Belfast International Airport for four upcoming games unless the cap issue is resolved soon.
Moreover, a separate legal action concerning the IAA’s decision to also cap the winter passenger seats at 14.4 million is set to be reviewed in court this December. This action is jointly pursued by Aer Lingus, Ryanair, and the airport operator, DAA.
In his judgment, Mr. Justice O’Donnell highlighted that the adverse effects of not pausing the seat cap would extend far beyond the airlines. He emphasized that failing to grant a stay could lead to serious disruptions for the public and potentially damaging consequences for the wider economy.
