Saturday, August 17, 2024 Ryanair urges the Irish Government to scrap Dublin Airport’s 32m passenger cap, which threatens tourism and raises fares. Ryanair, Ireland’s leading airline, has urged the Irish Government to abolish the 32 million passenger traffic cap at Dublin Airport, arguing that it stifles the growth of Irish tourism and inflates air travel costs. Recently, airlines operating from Dublin Airport have been informed that additional slots for upcoming winter holiday flights and major sporting events, including Rugby Internationals and Premier League matches, will not be available.
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has now proposed reducing the Summer 2025 traffic by up to one million passengers to adhere to this cap, a move that Ryanair warns will harm Irish tourism, threaten jobs, and significantly increase ticket prices for Irish families planning holidays in 2025. Introduced in 2007, the traffic cap was initially intended to manage road congestion anticipated with Dublin reaching 32 million passengers. However, Ryanair points out that this concern is outdated due to improved public transportation options, like bus services, which have alleviated road traffic around the airport.
With no current strain on road infrastructure, Ryanair contends that the cap is not only unnecessary but also detrimental, and it is time for the government to discard it to foster tourism growth and economic benefits. Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said: “We have been calling for .