PROMISING LEGISLATION BY THE END OF THE YEAR IS A 2 YEAR DELAY AFTER THE GOVT PROGRAMME PROMISED TO SCRAP THE CAP “AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Ryanair, Ireland’s largest airline (Tues 10 Feb) called on Micheál Martin’s Govt to scrap the illegal Dublin Airport cap before St Patrick’s Day, rather than delaying another 12 months.. Micheál Martin’s programme for Govt, published in Jan 2025, promised to abolish the cap “as soon as possible”. A 2-year delay is not “as soon as possible”. Ryanair calls on Micheál Martin to deliver on his Govt programme and scrap the cap before he visits the Whitehouse on St Patrick’s Day. This would allow American airlines, and Ryanair, to continue to invest in and grow routes, traffic, jobs and tourism at Dublin Airport.

Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary said:

“Micheál Martin promised to scrap the cap “as soon as possible”. The end of 2026 is 2 years after this promise was first made, and that is not quick enough. The American airlines are being blocked from growing at Dublin Airport with this illegal cap, and the Trump Administration, may well block Aer Lingus flights landing in New York if Micheál Martin doesn’t move sooner. Micheál Martin has a 20-seat majority, he has wasted 14 months doing nothing, and it is time to scrap the cap before St Patrick’s Day, which would then allow Ryanair and the American airlines to continue to invest in and grow traffic, tourism and jobs at Dublin Airport.

Ryanair, like the American airlines, are fed up with Micheál Martin’s do nothing approach to Govt. If he promises to deliver something “as soon as possible”, then this should be done before St Patrick’s Day.”