CALLS ON GOVT TO PASS URGENT LEGISLATION TO REMOVE THE DUBLIN AIRPORT CAP

Ryanair, Ireland’s No.1 airline, today (Wed, 2 Apr) welcomed today’s ruling by the Irish High Court to extend the stay on the Dublin Airport traffic cap beyond Summer 2025 into winter 2025. This allows airlines to add new routes and grow traffic and jobs at Dublin Airport next winter and revere the current slump in visitor numbers (down 30% in Feb). While Ryanair welcomes this today’s temporary relief by the Irish High Court, it highlights yet again the new Govts failure to scrap the Dublin Airport cap. The Program for Govt published in Jan, promised to scrap the Airport cap. Two months later no action has been taken. Ryanair calls on Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien to pass urgent legislation, removing Dublin Airport from the dead hand of Fingal Co Co, and incompetent rulings by An Bord Pleanála. Ireland’s main Airport should not be subject to local planning restrictions, but should be treated as strategically important infrastructure, where planning decisions should be taken directly by the elected Govt via the Minister for Transport. Ryanair called on the Govt to pass legislation before the summer recess, removing Ireland’s airports from its failed planning process.

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:

“We welcome today’s High Court ruling, where again the Courts have acted where the Govt has failed. After 5 years of inaction, we welcome the new Program for Govt, which promises to scrap the cap. However, after 60 days, no action has been taken. Irish airports must be treated as strategically important infrastructure and should be removed from the local planning process. Dublin Airport has opened a second runway, but the airlines can’t use it because of this illegal, 18-year-old, traffic cap. We should not have to waste time and money, going to the Courts to do the Govts work.

Today’s welcome High Court ruling highlights the Govts failure to act. We call on Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien to pass urgent legislation, removing Dublin Airport from the local planning process, which is wholly inadequate for national gateway infrastructure. The time for dithering and delaying is over. Dublin Airport is losing out on traffic growth, because of an 18-year-old planning restriction, which is no longer relevant.

As President Trump today announces his tariffs on Europe, the Irish Govt must respond by making Ireland more competitive and encouraging growth. This week’s CSO figures show that visitor numbers to Ireland slumped by 30% in Feb, which is entirely due to the Dublin Airport traffic cap.

Pass legislation, scrap this cap, and allow Ryanair to get on with delivering new routes, traffic, tourism and jobs growth.”