A RECORD 36.4 million people passed through Dublin Airport in 2025, representing a more than 5% increase on the previous year.

The new record continues a trend of increasing passenger numbers at the airport; the number of passengers going through the airport has risen by 46% since 2015.

Dublin Airport also said it facilitated a total of 255,000 flights last year, an increase of 5% on 2024, and that 85% of flights departed on time. 

The top five destinations for flights departing the airport in 2025 included four English airports. They were Heathrow, Manchester, Stansted and Gatwick, with Amsterdam being the second most popular destination. 

“Go back 10 years and Dublin Airport had never handled more than 100,000 passengers in a single day,” said Dublin Airport’s managing director Gary McLean.

“Fast forward to 2025 and 3 out of every 5 days saw 100,000+ passengers moving through our terminals, while we also recorded our busiest ever day on Sunday, 10 August when 130,427 passengers went through smoothly.” 

He said that Dublin Airport has the potential to increase its passenger numbers, “but it is essential that we soon start building new gates, stands and other infrastructure to set us up to meet the demand that’s coming over the coming decades”. 

He added that removing the controversial passenger cap was “key to that happening”. 

The passenger cap, which limits the number to 32 million per year, is currently suspended and has been the subject of much debate in recent years.

It is a condition of the planning permission granted for the construction of Terminal 2 in 2007.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said it is “imperative” the passenger cap is lifted and Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien has expressed his intention to propose legislation to do so this month.