LAST UPDATE | 3 Sep

THE IRISH AVIATION Authority (IAA) has decided against forcing Dublin Airport to reassess its airport charges ahead of the winter season, despite having found merit in complaints lodged by Ryanair earlier this year.

In September last year, Dublin Airport published proposed airport charges for the period between March 2024 and March 2025.

But Ryanair filed a complaint in December with the IAA, saying that Dublin Airport had not fully complied with its obligations under EU regulations that govern charges at airports.

In a draft decision last May, two aspects of Ryanair’s complaint were not considered relevant by the IAA, but four points were upheld. They included complaints about the transfer passenger charge, runway movement charge, the low emissions aircraft discount scheme and a nitrogen oxide charge.

The IAA agreed with Ryanair that “further assessment/work in relation to these charging modulations/differentiations is required, if the airport charges at Dublin Airport are to meet the standards of Transparency, Objectivity and Relevance set out by the ACD (Airport Charges Directive), so as to demonstrate non-discrimination.”

DAA, the body that runs Dublin Airport, said in May that it believed it had undertaken the airport charge revisions “in an objective, transparent and compliant manner”. 

The IAA had said in May that a list of reassessed charges should be in effect come this winter. But despite agreeing with the complaints made by Ryanair, the IAA has now decided it will not force the DAA to reassess those charges for the upcoming winter season.

“Our final decision is that, rather than re-assessing the charges on an interim basis in time for winter 2024-2025, Dublin Airport should review the charges as part of the annual consultation process to take effect in time for the summer 2025 season, which commences on 30 March 2025,” the IAA said.

In a statement, the Dublin Airport authority said: “Dublin Airport conducted the 2024 annual charges review in compliance with regulations, as evidenced by the lack of complaints from other airport users.”

“These annual charges to airlines undergo thorough regulatory scrutiny every year. It is disappointing that Ryanair has challenged our efforts to promote a quieter, cleaner, and more fuel-efficient fleet at Dublin Airport through the proposed charges, which support our sustainability goals and ambitions,” the statement said.

“It is also discouraging that the IAA has questioned the appropriateness of environmental charges and the Dublin Airport Low Emissions Aircraft Discount incentive, which we introduced as a catalyst for lower noise and CO₂ emissions.”