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THE IRISH AVIATION Authority has set a limit of 25.2 million seats at Dublin Airport next summer, around a million fewer than this year, in order to ensure it does not exceed the legal capacity.
The decision has been criticised by Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary, who has deemed it “unlawful”.
The IAA is responsible for identifying and determining the capacity at Dublin Airport and setting the consequent parameters for slot allocation.
This includes a passenger cap of 32 million, as set out in the 2007 planning conditions for the development of Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport.
The Dublin Airport authority and a number of airlines have called for the cap to be lifted. Daa has applied to Fingal County Council to increase the cap 40 million passengers as part of a broader infrastructure application.
Last month, the IAA proposed issuing a seat limit of 25.2 million for the Summer 2025 scheduling season. Following a period of consultation, it has now confirmed it is going ahead with these plans.
“To take account of the capacity constraint represented by the planning condition set by An Bord Pleanála, the IAA has set a seat capacity limit of 25.2 million seats for the Summer 2025 scheduling season,” it said in a statement.
The decision will result in a total seat capacity of 39.6 million across the two seasons. The seat cap is greater than the passenger cap as it takes account of expected load factors.
It is the second scheduling season to take account of the 32 million passenger cap. A cap of 14.4 million is in place from 26 October this year until 29 March next year.
“The IAA anticipates that the demand for slots for the Summer 2025 scheduling season will significantly exceed the 25.2m seat cap,” the statement continued.
“In line with the Slot Regulation, air carriers who have operated series of slots (5 weeks or longer) in the Summer 2024 season will be given priority, on initial coordination, in relation to those series for Summer 2025.
“However, the IAA anticipates that not all slot series from Summer 2024 will be capable of being accommodated within the seat cap.”
The IAA also said it anticipates that there will be very little, if any, available capacity for new slot requests, or for ad hoc slot requests, for passenger flights using the capacity of Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 next summer.
“Such an outcome, and its implications for airlines, Dublin Airport and the travelling public are a consequence of the An Bord Pleanála planning condition itself.
“The role of the IAA does not encompass any powers to amend or revoke planning conditions or make any decision to enforce or not enforce conditions. These are all matters to be determined by the planning authorities, such as Fingal County Council.”
In a statement, the Daa welcomed the decision. It said it is reviewing it and awaiting the “detailed supporting document”, which is due to be published later this week.
It said that while the decision to cap seats next summer is bad for Irish jobs, the economy and connectivity, it should “help Dublin Airport comply with planning in 2025″.
“Had the IAA not made this decision as slots regulator, daa would continue to be left holding the problem of trying to comply with planning laws but without a solution in its power,” it said.
“While Dublin Airport wants to grow, cutting the seats coming to Dublin is the only way to meet the planning condition. Therefore today’s decision is welcomed by daa.”
It also said it has asked the High Court to review the IAA’s winter slot decision to avoid Dublin Airport exceeding the 32 million cap this year. The case will be heard on 3 December.
Daa CEO Kenny Jacobs said the decision “has real financial consequences for Ireland”.
“We estimate the damage to the economy to be at least €500 million, increasing to €700 million if we consider lost airfares too,” he said.
“There are also real consequences for airlines, people working at the airport and the travelling public, as well as knock-on impacts on tourism and jobs. This issue is no longer just an airport or a planning issue, it is now an Ireland issue.”
Separately, Ryanair has claimed the decision is “unlawful” and condemned the “inaction” of the Minister for Transport and Minister for Tourism over the passenger cap.
“Today’s ruling by the IAA is unlawful. The Dublin Airport cap is in breach of the EU right to freedom of movement, and is also in breach of the EU/US Open Skies Agreement,” Michael O’Leary said.
“We have no doubt that this absurd 17 year old restriction (which was solely deigned to allay road traffic “concerns” which no longer exist) will be thrown out by the European Courts.”
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Reducing capacity will drive up the price off travelling through Dublin airport, But then again what does anyone expect from a century off ffg cronyism
Two countries: Dublin and tge rest of Ireland, you’d think Dublin airport is the only one in the country. Dublincentric governance hurts this island.
@Brian D’Arcy: Learn how to spell ya bleedin culchie
@GE Zall: grama nassis
@Brian D’Arcy: You’d think that the government would address the elephant in the room and get another airport built in Dublin with a cycle lane connecting the two of them.
@Brian D’Arcy: Dublin and surrounding counties is where most of the population is. The airlines get fuller loads and more profit as a result. The proud people from Cork and Shannon can’t seem to grasp this. Airlines aren’t a local service, they operate to maximize profit by being as full as possible, and not having aircraft sitting on stand for long periods. Cork for example has far cheaper airline charges than Dublin in the “Summer season”. They still prefer Dublin. MOL has positioned aircraft elsewhere because of the cap in Dublin, and they didn’t go to EICK or EINN, because it’s more profitable basing them elsewhere.
@Brian D’Arcy: It’s about macro economics and what’s best for Ireland inc .
Try to put aside your anti Dublin gripe for the sake of the country
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: with the difference in queuing time at peak periods in Dublin airport compared to Cork and Dublin the mind boggles why anyone would take a flight from Dublin if the destinations are the same in all airports especially if from Cork ,Clare or Limerick
@GE Zall: It just proves the whole Dublin v culchies thing like…
@GE Zall: if all the culchies were gone out of Dublin there would be about 10,000 people left and you wouldn’t be one of them
@Brian D’Arcy: Getting to Dublin Airport from anywhere north of Dublin, using Bus Éireann is inconvinient, but using Bus Éireann to go to Knock Airport, Shannon, or Cork is impossible, driving to them isn’t much better.
There should be no cap on Dublin airport, it should run to full capacity to meet the demand.
@Brian D’Arcy: Well it is the capital !!
@Sean Fahy: Are ye coming down to Dublin for the feast of the immaculate conception on the 8th of December sean? Do a bit of shopping and all that.Fact is ye might be mugged. Stay where you are pal. Foreigners everywhere waiting to ruin your day.
@Brian D’Arcy: It is the only one in the country. Ask any companies, none of them wants to use other airports which are all useless aside for local flights.
@Alex: There not useless. My family travels a lot from Cork. Easy parking, no waiting time, short walkways. Ideal.
Of course Dublin is more important due to population but if your from the Midlands then Shannon or Cork are much easier.
@Brian D’Arcy: they going to reduce the capacity year on year to meet climate targets and until regular ordinary people cant afford too make many excursions.
@Sean Fahy: Go cut yisser turf down in da bog ya mad yoke
@Means Of Escape: The mind doesn’t boggle at that. There is such hate from the West of Dublin airport, and such pride in your security queues that I doubt it happens if the commute is 50/50 to either. Dublin security is far better than most comparator airports. Last 10 or so early morning flights I’ve been on it’s been less than 15 minutes to get through. It’s a shame its reputation is still damaged since the security disaster during COVID, which happened in many other airports. I’m happy to put up with less than 15 mins of security to have access to so many destinations. It’s a brilliant airport, although poorly managed at times, particularly with the infrastructure projects
@Brian D’Arcy: The airlines are not moving the capacity to the rest of the island. They’re moving it outside of Ireland.
Airlines will move to where they can make the most profit. If Dublin isn’t an option that doesn’t automatically mean they’ll move to Cork / Shannon.
@Brian D’Arcy: It’s the only airport the majority of the airlines want to fly to because it’s a guaranteed seat filler. That’s the reality of this.
If there was consistent demand for the other airports, they would have plenty of flights, they simply don’t.
Can Shannon, Cork, Knock and Belfast not utilised? IT’s shocking that the amount of bus operators from the West , North and South of Ireland bringing people to Dublin Airport.
Dublin Airport is NOT the Welcome to Ireland. It’s an overpriced airport with shops like Wrights of Howth charging E7.50 for a basic Chicken and Stuffing Sandwich. and E12 for 400grams of Pasta.
@Tommy: If it was worth the airlines while to base aircraft there they would. They do a lot of analysis on routes and demand.
@Tommy: less anti Dublin parochialism and more realism is needed. The fact that anyone would want to fly here at all is incredible with the amount internal bigotry around.
Unbelievable..
@Tommy: it’s let happen and the airport don’t have a rail service true it a complete joke this so called country of ours
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: because there has been Dublin /pale Based Ministers for Transport since the establishment of this failed Irish free state
@Michael Fehily: the whole world of economic emigrants are coming in by night, disappear down the country on a bus and never to be seen again.
You will see this 4am in the morning in Dublin Airport bus bays outside Terminal 1
@Alan Moloney: there’s a rail connection there, dig out line Dublin Airport to Clongriffin and tie onto the main line between Dublin and Belfast by increasing Train lines. Instead of digging a big underground trench that will be like the current children’s hospital.. way Overpriced and sickening entirely with corruption.
@Tommy: feel free to live Tommy, don’t let the door hit you
@Tommy: We don’t need other airports, Cork airport is crap, Shanon is also crap. No companies want to use them even if they offer cheaper rates. You aren’t very bright Tommy, that’s a fact.
@Alex: how is cork Airport crap? Come on now. It’s a pleasure to fly out of, much calmer and nicer than Dublin. There are just very few destinations in comparison. The few flights there are nearly always full and plenty of people travel from Dublin to fly out. Fact is though it’s easier for many to fly to London and onwards than bus to Dublin and face the scarecoach home on return.
@Tommy: WOW, really?!?! Do you think that the ministers for transport get that involved? Look at the damage this cap is doing to the airports and countries reputation and govt are doing nothing. The amount of lost revenue, tourism and jobs?!?!…… Airlines dictate where they fly to if there are slots available in the airports. Without them the airports do no business. Airlines fly routes where they can maximize profit. Unfortunately the population size of the west of Ireland doesn’t translate to enough passengers on most routes day in, day out!
@Tommy: not workable, as Connolly is at full capacity as things are
@Alex: are you from Dublin?
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec:
You didn’t read my comment about all the bus operators coming from the West, North and South to Dublin Airport,
Why can’t they bring these people to Shannon and Cork but of course they monopoly dictates that Dublin Airport is making a show of Ireland with their overpriced services.
@Tommy: Still not enough obviously! It’s not hard!….. The airlines know who books their flights and where they’re from!…. Time to get over it!!!…..Or Maybe write a letter to MOL or Lynne Embleton and the CEOs of other airlines to let them know that all their analysts are wrong and that there is the demand in Cork and Shannon 7 days a week to base more aircraft there!
@Tommy: It’s not an either / or. The airlines will fly to the most profitable airports. If Dublin suits them they’ll fly here. If they can’t fly to Dublin they’ll evaluate other airports in Europe. Cork / Shannon etc. will be evaluated as will airports in the UK / continent. If the numbers look better there then Ireland is just losing the flights.
If Cork / Shannon were profitable enough now the airlines would already be using them more.
Michael O Leary would do a far better job of running this country than the incompetent shower that are lining their pockets as they run what’s left of Ireland into the ground
@Jb Walshe: you’ve clearly never worked for Ryanair.
These passenger caps might be subject to change when the greens are decimated in the forthcoming election hopefully whoever is the next minster of transport might have a bit more cop on but be progressive. You can’t expect someone from Wexford to fly out of Shannon etc some amount of cop on is needed.
@Nemethon: The people in Wexford and the rest of the southeast are waiting years for government to match the proposed, relatively small, €20 million private investment in Waterford Airport, so it can extend its runway and resume international flights, but here we are still driving (no train available) to oversubscibed Dublin Airport. Irish government, local and national, simply can’t do infrastructure investment.
@Stephen Wallis: Waterford airport is a bad investment! No airline will base a plane there. Tiny population in the local area.
Ryan yet again trying to destroy prosperity ..bicycles don’t pay wages …
@William O leary: it’s the Russian influencer
Ones that come in without a passport any number
Government is the problem
@Oh Mammy: Fine but what is the solution?
@Oh Mammy: Government doesn’t decide to use Dublin airport, companies do. Also the cap has nothing to do with it. Learn to read please.
@Alex: government is the problem
Dublin is the capital city of Ireland we are all Irish, that cannot be changed, live and let live.
@Phillip Smyth: yes it can….capitals have changed all over the world many times
And we’re not all Irish. 10% foreign people living here
@Phillip Smyth: Irish is outnumbered
@Alan Moloney: Not much good at simple arithmetic then!
My own personal opinion is that flying for leisure should be banned. Only SAR and humanitarian flights should continue. We are at a time in history when such changes are either required for the sake of continued human existence in civil societies or we can just keep chucking more oil on the fire and watch it all burn! I’m easy either way, I’ll only last so long anyway but there is the thought that folks should consider more carefully the kind of world we pass on.
@Chutes: well posted sir.
@Chutes: God aren’t you fantastic with options like that. I’d give you more likes if I could, that’s what you’re after isn’t it?!?!…… Thanks for sharing, oh sage one!….. Aviation is 2.5% of global emissions. Get rid of it altogether and there’s still a massive problem. It’s always an easy target though!
@Chutes: tourists bring €7.5 billion to this country. Who’s going to turn them away?
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec:
You think I say things as unpopular as that for likes? Not sure you understand how likes work tbh!
@Richard Scratcher: Sorry dude, money is not my main concern unlike the vast majority.
@Chutes: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: It’s not my fault you can’t conceive of what I said, that’s on you entirely! Everyone says these days that they can do their own research, I would wonder how good at it they are!
@Chutes: Jobs will lost and there will be no money to pay your pension or social welfare your HAP money, get real
@Chutes: Nobody cares about your opinion. I fly for leisure many times and I couldn’t care less what people like you think.
@Peter Byrne: chutes is on another planet.
It’s a planet where loads of accounts live.
They are basically harmless even if there seems to be interplanetry cyber warfare about to break out, the way they go on.
@Chutes: Your personal opinion that people should not be flying for leisure is something you can apply to yourself, perhaps you have nowhere to go, or nowhere that you want to go, but other people do, and that is their perogative.
Emissions from commercial aircraft are less than ever, because technology has improved, and air travel accounts for only 2% of global carbon emissions.
@Chutes: Two replies?!?…. Thanks. Maybe you’re just trolling!…. Sure let’s force everyone to become vegan and cut the worldwide herds. Let’s ban cargo ships, we should be able to survive within our own countries. Let’s ban concrete, production is a huge CO2 emitter. Let’s limit the amount of personal possessions and clothing people can have. Let’s ban home heating, sure just lash on another jumper…… I can conceive it easily thanks but I know it won’t happen. We’re too overpopulated, too much freedom, everybody wants to have a good life and experiences. The only solution is technological advancements.
@Chutes: lets start with sterilizing you so that you wont procreate and spread the human problem
@Chutes: let’s stop importing all the cr*p items from Chima first. Temu and the likes are way more toxic for the planet than regular joes flying for holidays. Should we also mention the idiocy of importing avocado from Peru, organic garlic from China or radishes from west Africa… as well??? But well done supporting the idea that in the end, only the wealthy will have the leisure to travel, while they still chastise us for ruining the world…
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: no, the only answer is to cut our lifestyles back to take account of environmental and climate destruction largely caused by our privileged infantile attitudes to consumerism. As the residents of West Florida will find in the next few days, nature always has the last word.
So who gets to come home and who gets told to f*ck off to the ferry?
@Colm Flaherty: or they could fu€k off to another airport Colm but hey ya know yourself
@Mick O’K: How many buses per day from Ireland West Airport to Tullamore do you know? Or Kerry Airport to Clonmel? Not many I think.
What’s going on ?
Less people coming in is obviously bad for our economy!
All the hotels are been taken over for other purposes.
Why is this government hell bent on making it so hard for our economy to grow.
I feel like I’m missing something here.
And while I’m at ,what the f is it with all these cycles lanes around the estates in Dublin, they have the roads ruined. No one asked for these cycles lanes , they are basically empty all day long and the floating bus stops are an accident waiting to happen, check out the report of the ones in London ( disaster).
Hashtag: rant over
Just like other major cities Dublin need a second airport to deal with the increasing air travel
@Paul Maguire: South Dublin I suppose but would never get planning
@Paul Maguire: Spend many billions on another airport? And put it where?!?! There’s already 3 airports in Dublin….. Or we could just increase the out of date cap based on old infrastructure to 40 million. Build the metro then increase the cap again.
It’s all ’bout da money!
Never heard of this in any country’s airports,
@Ned: there are plenty of other examples with similar restrictions globally. Heathrow being one.
@T S: LHR implemented a passenger cap after COVID in 2022 because of how fast air travel bounced back and service in the airport dropped due to staffing. Similar service levels dropped in Dublin. There is no restriction on the number of passengers now. There is only a limit on how many aircraft the airport can handle because it’s so busy and that’s done by slots. They’re looking for another runway and that means more capacity. 79 million passengers last year with two runways. Dublin is capped at 32 million with two runways. Thats based on road infrastructure back in 2007 with T2s planning permission. The infrastructure has been upgraded.
A disgrace. O leary running this Country the scheister
@Buster Lawless: I’ll tell you a bigger disgrace is the fact the journal let you throll the comment section:).
@Paul Gorry: no I do not. Also I’m the most popukar commenter here, average 3k likes a week so journal needs me.
It’s like a broken record. Dublin the big news… While Cork and Shannon airport could take quite a bit of overflow and I guarantee the rest of the country would be more than happy to not have to fly out of Dublin. It’s extremely simple for operators to review what counties people are coming from.. I think it’s high time that a review is actually made on the flights that involve Irish flyers to see where they actually originated from before they arrived in that hellhole called Dublin Airport.. I’m quite sure there’s a good percentage that could have gone from Cork or Shannon instead. I’m actually sick of hearing about Dublins issues.. it’s time to invest in the rest of the country.
@Roman Walczak Sadlowski: Airlines would fly from the other airports if they wished to, if the demand was there. However they don’t wish to because the demand is not there.
They will go where the money is, and if that means sacrificing any service for Ireland to other greener shores that is exactly what they will do. Even Aer Lingus and Ryanair have diversified outside of Ireland in order to maximise their profits. Fact of the matter is SNN and ORK are not money makers for the airlines and there is zero interest on the most part.
I’m Irish and proud as for the other 10% and I’m quoting on here I hope they are legal.jmo
The DAA have displayed ‘fundamental ignorance’ on how the planning process works, the DAA should of made sure they got their new planning application in on time and didn’t leave it to the very last minute and then try to blame everyone else for their very poorly timed planning decisions. Typical semi-state company attitude, the DAA believe they are above the laws that are imposed on everyone else.
Hopefully, this will encourage the airlines to use the regional airports a bit more. There are plenty of cities world wide with airports further away than shannon is to Dublin. It is utterly daft that Shannon and Cork are not being used more. I will always use shannon when possible even if the flight is a little more expensive.
Only in Ireland!
The only way government will.intervine is if it started impacting more business trying to get a foot in Ireland
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