State-managed Dublin Airport operator, DAA, has disclosed that due to an unprecedented demand, the annual passenger figures at the airport are likely to exceed the maximum limit of 32 million set by An Bord Pleanála in 2008. The travelling public through Dublin Airport for the first eight months ending August was 22.7 million, an increase of 5.5% compared to the corresponding period last year, as reported by DAA on Wednesday. The company anticipates this upward trend to carry on through September, however anticipates a slowdown in the latter part of the year due to the Irish Aviation Authority’s implementation of the winter slot capacity restriction.
Despite DAA’s “considerable efforts” to keep passenger traffic within the prescribed limits, it’s expected that the year end figure may reach around 33 million. DAA has formally requested Fingal County Council to raise the limit to 40 million, forming part of a broader development plan for the airport.
Despite these requests, DAA CEO Kenny Jacobs opines that the present restriction has put Dublin Airport in a difficult situation, while it awaits a resolution on its application request. Mr. Jacobs suggested that it is counterproductive to limit tourism and investment when public and private funders are investing so much to boost them. He stated that better collaborative thinking was required for the development of key infrastructure.
In an interview with RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland programme, Jacobs insisted that the cap issue should have been addressed much earlier by DAA. He admitted, “We should have applied for planning sooner. So we need to move quicker… we will definitely be applying for planning in good time next time.”
This would be the first instance of exceeding the cap, as voiced by Jacobs, who further added that DAA did as much as they could within their capacity to stay compliant, even rejecting some airlines. He conveyed his disappointment in being unable to foster growth at Dublin Airport and stated that they will remain compliant till they get the green light to expand.
Last month, Ryanair gave a stern warning that the imposed cap could trigger record-breaking high air fares come winter. Michael O’Leary, the chief of the airline, asserted that the State-imposed passenger limit in Dublin could push one-way Christmas airfares to Dublin to an alarming rate of €500 due to “limited seat availability”.
Nevertheless, this alleged cap violation was downplayed by Mr Jacobs assuring it wouldn’t affect winter flights. He dispelled anxieties over forthcoming Christmas bookings, stating, “I do not foresee any issues in the approaching months regarding people booking flights for Christmas. I’m not anticipating fares to be significantly more expensive than the previous year. The issue would arise in summer 2025, where an influx of a million passengers would drive fares up. We might also see a drop in the number of routes available.”