EAMON RYAN’S FAILURE TO SCRAP 32M TRAFFIC CAP WILL LEAD TO RECORD HIGH AIR FARES TO DUBLIN THIS CHRISTMAS

RYANAIR ADDS 50,000 EXTRA SEATS TO/FROM BELFAST FOR CHRISTMAS TO MAKE AIR TRAVEL MORE AFFORDABLE FOR DUBLIN PASSENGERS

Ryanair, Ireland’s No.1 airline, has today (Mon 26 Aug) warned passengers to book their Christmas flights to/from Dublin early this year as air fares (particularly from London) are rising rapidly due to the artificial 32m traffic cap at Dublin Airport.

Dublin Airport, which has recently opened a 2^nd runway taking capacity to 60m passengers, is constrained due to an outdated 2007 traffic cap of 32m passengers, which was imposed because of concerns – 17 years ago – that road access at Dublin Airport would be congested when Dublin reached 32m passengers. No such congestion has arisen, despite the fact that Dublin’s traffic is over 32m passengers. Ireland’s failing Transport Minister Eamon Ryan refuses to act to scrap this outdated and irrelevant traffic cap, even on an interim basis, while the DAA applies to Fingal CoCo to abolish this 2007 cap. Even Fingal CoCo ignored this traffic cap when it granted planning permission for Dublin Airport’s 2^nd runway in 2015, despite knowing that the 2^nd runway would take Dublin’s traffic capacity to 60m passengers – way above its 2007 artificial 32m traffic cap.

Ryanair and other Dublin airlines have been prevented from adding extra flights to Dublin this year, due to this 32m traffic cap. Availability of Ryanair’s lowest fares from London to Dublin are running out quickly because Ryanair has not been given the slots to run its traditional 270,000 extra seats to/from Dublin. Instead, Ryanair will run an extra 50,000 seats from London to Belfast and many Dublin bound passengers this year will be flying home for Christmas via Belfast because Eamon Ryan, Ireland’s Transport Minister, won’t act to scrap this cap.

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:

“We urge passengers intending to travel home to Dublin for Christmas to book their flights early as cheap seats are selling out quickly. Currently today in late Aug, our lowest fares from London to Dublin on Fri 20^th, Sat 21^st or Sun 22^nd December are rapidly approaching €100 one-way due to this Government’s failure to allow airlines to run extra flights to/from Dublin this Christmas.

Once again, Ireland’s Green Transport Minister has failed to act. Not alone is Dublin the world’s 2^nd most congested city for road traffic, but Dublin Airport is Europe’s only capital city that has opened a 2^nd runway, but due to a 17-year-old traffic cap, we are not allowed to use it. The sooner this failed Green Minister is removed from office, the better it will be for Ireland’s infrastructure, Ireland’s air access and Irish families travelling home for Christmas.

We believe air fares to Dublin this Christmas will hit €500 one-way as Christmas approaches and reduced seat capacity fills, and therefore we urge passengers intending to travel home to family at Christmas to book their travel early and avoid what will be record high air fares due to Eamon Ryan’s failure to scrap a 17-year-old outdated and irrelevant (road) traffic cap.”