Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 passenger airline, today (Wed 25 Mar) called on the Dáil Committee of Transport to abolish the Fingal CoCo’s unlawful 2007 32m passenger cap at Dublin Airport. The abolition of this cap was raised in the manifestos of most political parties in the 2024 General Election. Both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael won a majority, and published their Govt Program in Jan 2025, promising to abolish the Dublin Airport cap “as soon as possible”. Yet 16 months later, the cap remains as the Govt have failed to act.

In addition to Ryanair, other airlines, IATA, and A4A, all made submissions to the Transport Committee calling on the Govt to deliver on its Jan 2025 Program promise to scrap the cap. Ryanair highlighted that the noise claims of local residents are bogus. Ryanair’s research shows that avg. daily noise over St Margarets, Ballyboughal and Ashbourne is less than 50 decibels, which is defined as “quiet, moderate and generally safe”. Even with an aircraft overhead, noise levels over these localities rise to just 52dB or 53dB. Ryanair believes that “nimbies” who moved into the North Dublin area in 1998 or in 2016 (long after Dublin Airport opened in 1940!), should not be allowed to object to, or delay, national airport infrastructure.

Ryanair calls for Dublin Airport to be removed from Fingal CoCo’s failed planning system. It is absurd that a 32m passenger cap was imposed on Dublin Airport in 2007 over now long outdated road traffic concerns. The growth of air traffic at Dublin Airport should not be affected by outdated road traffic issues limiting air travel on and off the island of Ireland.

As today’s submission to the Transport Committee demonstrated, Dublin and Ireland can enjoy significant additional traffic, tourism and jobs growth, by taking advantage of the 2^nd runway, which was opened in 2020. This 2^nd runway creates potential traffic growth to between 50m to 60m over the next decade. Dublin Airport is the key gateway on and off the island of Ireland. Ryanair will take delivery of 300 new Boeing aircraft over the next 10 years. These aircraft will come to Europe in any event, so the only question for Dublin and Ireland is how much of the growth does Ireland want, and should Dublin and Ireland lose this traffic and jobs growth to other European States because of the continued failure of Micheál Martin’s Govt to deliver on its Govt Program to scrap the Dublin Airport cap “asap”.

Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary said:
“It is time for Micheál Martin to finally deliver on his Govt Program after 16 months of inaction, and scrap the Dublin Airport cap “as soon as possible”. There are no valid reasons to prevent airlines and the Irish economy from benefiting from Dublin’s 2^nd runway, which we, the airlines, are paying for. Given avg. daily noise levels of under 50dB, the noise complaints from local residents are bogus, particularly since those people moved nearer to Dublin Airport in 1998 or in 2016. The Airport has been there since 1940.

Dublin and Ireland can enjoy significant routes, traffic, and jobs thanks to Dublin’s 2^nd runway. Ryanair has 300 aircraft on order, and can uniquely deliver this growth for Dublin and for Ireland, but only when this illegal cap is abolished, and the DAA offers competitive airport charges. The time for delay and dithering is over. We call on Micheál Martin to deliver on his Govt Program promise to scrap the Dublin Airport cap, and take action urgently before the US Authorities retaliate by blocking Aer Lingus flights landing in New York.”

Chris Sununu, President & CEO of Airlines for America said:
“Dublin Airport’s passenger cap is no longer just a planning issue. It is a policy choice that is holding back Ireland’s economy, undermining certainty for airlines and travellers, and putting vital transatlantic connectivity at risk. Airlines for America’s position is clear: the cap should be removed through a durable legislative solution that keeps Dublin open to growth, competition, and international connectivity.”