Airlines are cutting flights at Dublin Airport as it edges closer to exceeding its 32 million a-year passenger cap.
State airports company, DAA, which operates Dublin, confirmed on Thursday that it expects to breach the 32 million limit this year, despite measures to dampen demand at the country’s main aviation hub.
By the end of September, 25.8 million people had traveled through the airport’s two terminals.
The company expects October to be a busy month, but it said some airlines “have decided to reduce the scale if their operations because of the uncertainty with the 32 million cap”.
Regulators have limited airlines to a total of 13 million seats this winter – October to March – in a bid to ensure compliance with the cap which was introduced by planners in 2007.
“With every passing month, Dublin Airport’s passenger numbers get closer to the 32 million cap,” DAA said.
The warning came as both Cork and Dublin airports saw a record number of passengers pass through in September, rising 5 per cent to reach a total of 3.38 million.
DAA said although it had reduced passenger numbers by about 650,000, Dublin Airport was likely to see close to 33 million passengers pass through the airport this year.
In response to the uncertainty surrounding the cap, airlines have either reduced operations or are looking at potential cuts.
Ryanair has cut some routes since last winter, including Spanish routes Asturias, Castellon and Santiago, Carcassonne in France, Leipzig and Nuremberg in Germany, Palanga in Lithuania, and Romania’s Sibiu and Suceava. It has only reinstated a handful of them this summer.
On Thursday, chief Michael O’Leary called on Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to direct regulators to issue new take-off and landing slots at Dublin Airport to allow capacity for Christmas and the Six Nations rugby championship early next year.
He said Mr Ryan and Tourism Minister Catherine Martin could instruct the authority to issue new slots to facilitate extra flights.
“He has the power under the Aviation Act to issue a direction to the IAA telling them to issue new slots,” he said. “The IAA wants to receive a letter, it does not want to restrict growth at Dublin Airport.”
Dublin Airport has submitted an application to increase the passenger cap to 40 million, but a recent draft decision from An Bord Pleanála concerning nighttime flights and operating hours that could cut the number of flights by two thirds is also complicating things.
Cork Airport, meanwhile, is experiencing substantial growth, with a 14 per cent increase in September as late summer travel and strong demand for routes to European destinations lift figures.
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The airport, which is expanding its route network, is expected to exceed 3 million passengers by the end of 2024.
“While Cork grows, Dublin slows. DAA has long been vocal about the potential negative impacts of the cap, warning it could lead to significant job losses and harm Ireland’s economy and international reputation. Regrettably, our predictions are becoming a reality,” said airport operator chief executive Kenny Jacobs.
“Things are going to get worse before they get better. The coming months will see the passenger cap starting to bite more firmly as airlines finalise their summer 2025 schedules with fewer slots available and reduced capacity, despite overwhelming demand from passengers to fly in and out of Dublin Airport.”
“Meanwhile airports across Europe are working hard to get and keep the flights Dublin is losing. And DAA is obliged to continue to do its utmost to comply with the cap, despite not controlling the slot process.”
Business group Dublin Town said the cap must be removed if Dublin is to become a leading European city. Failure to do so would see the city pay a “high price”, its chief executive Richard Guiney said.
“Up to one fifth of the spend in Dublin city comes through visitors to the capital, " he said. “This money is keeping many city centre businesses afloat. Unlike some European capitals, Dublin is not over-visited and there remains capacity to increase visitor numbers,” he said. “Dublin Town accepts that balance is required, but the balance is currently wrong. Dublin must embrace a position as a leading European city. To do that it must warmly welcome visitors and investors and be truly internationalist and expansive in its collective view.”
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