Aer Lingus and Ryanair are seeking to bring High Court challenges over a decision of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) relating to aircraft capacity limits at Dublin Airport for this coming winter.
Lawyers for the two airlines told Ms Justice Niamh Hyland that following a similar application on Wednesday by the DAA – the Dublin Airport Authority – they too are seeking to bring similar judicial review proceedings.
The DAA was given leave to bring a challenge over a May 7th last decision of the IAA which the airport authority says will result in a breach of the 32 million annual passenger cap at the airport.
That May 7th decision relates to the “Winter 2024 Coordination Parameters” set down by the IAA.
The DAA says the parameters breach the capacity constraint set by planning permissions for the operation of the airport which say passenger numbers are limited to 32 million a year and may be in breach of EU regulations.
The DAA seeks an order quashing those winter parameters or alternatively the reopening of the May 7th decision or the setting of temporary parameters or other steps that will avoid breaching the planning permissions.
On Thursday, lawyers for Aer Lingus and Ryanair were told by Ms Justice Hyland she would hear their applications for leave to bring similar challenges next week.
The airlines are seeking that their cases should be put into a case management date allocated for the DAA case at the end of the month.
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