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THE IRISH AVIATION (IAA) has proposed implementing a seat capacity limit of 25.2 million at Dublin Airport for the Summer 2025 scheduling season.
The Summer 2025 scheduling season will run from 30 March to 25 October.
The IAA is responsible for identifying and determining the capacity at Dublin Airport and setting the consequent parameters for slot allocation.
It said that in doing so, “the IAA is required to take account of all relevant technical, operational and environmental constraints”.
This includes a passenger cap of 32 million, as set out in the 2007 planning conditions for the development of Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport.
In a statement this evening, IAA said: “To take account of the capacity constraint represented by this planning condition, the IAA proposes to implement a seat capacity limit of 25.2 million seats for the Summer 2025 scheduling season.”
The proposal will make next summer’s scheduling season the second one in which a seat cap is implemented to take account of the 32 million passenger cap.
For Winter 2024, running from 26 October 2024 to 29 March 2025, the seat cap is 14.4 million.
IAA said this Summer 2025 proposal would result in a total seat capacity of 39.6 million across the two seasons.
“The seat cap is greater than the passenger cap as it takes account of expected load factors (how many passengers are expected on each flight relative to the total number of seats on the aircraft), and an adjustment for transfer passengers,” explained an IAA spokesperson.
The IAA added that it anticipates demand for slots for the Summer 2025 season “would significantly exceed the proposed seat cap”.
Air carriers who have operated a series of slots of five weeks or longer in the Summer 2024 season would be given priority.
The IAA added that, like Winter 2024, its proposal “would result in very little, if any, available capacity for new slot requests, or for ad hoc slot requests, for passenger flights using the capacity of Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 during the Summer 2025 scheduling season”.
It said this “flows as a consequence of the planning condition”.
The IAA said it has no power to “amend or revoke planning conditions” and that it is “not for the IAA to assess the merits or otherwise of the condition itself”.
The IAA is holding a consultation on today’s draft decision, and has invited interested parties to make written submissions by email to consultation@iaa.ie by 26 September.
A final decision on the Summer 2025 capacity will be made next month.
The operator of Dublin Airport, DAA, said it will review the details of the proposal.
A spokesperson added that DAA “fully understand the disappointment that will be felt by the airlines already operating at Dublin who want to grow, and airlines that want to come here but can’t get slots”.
DAA CEO Kenny Jacobs said “we totally get that losing significant seats from the summer 2025 schedule has real consequences for airlines, people working at the airport and the travelling public, as well as knock-on impacts on tourism, jobs and the wider economy”.
He added that “we are between a rock and a hard place” and that this is “no longer just an airport or a planning issue, it is now an Ireland issue”.
He pointed to recent Fáilte Ireland figures which showed 53% of industry providers had fewer customers this summer than last.
“Airlines are allocating aircraft to other countries where they can grow,” said Jacobs.
He added: “We welcome efforts by the government to find a solution to the impasse while we wait for planning to lift the passenger cap to 40 million a year, which is in line with national aviation policy, the Fingal Development Plan and the Dublin Airport Local Area Plan.
“Until this happens, we have to support the IAA’s draft decision to cut seats despite the consequences for Ireland.”
A DAA spokesperson added: “As the Winter 2024/25 cuts did not go far enough to prevent terminal passenger numbers in 2024 exceeding the 32 million planning condition, DAA has asked the High Court to intervene, and the case will be heard on 3 December”.
Meanwhile, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary called on Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to “order IAA to approve additional slots for Dublin airlines in Winter 2024, and again in Summer 2025”.
O’Leary said this would allow Ryanair and other airlines “to add extra flights this Winter for Leinster Rugby matches, Lapland Santa Claus flights, and for Irish families returning home to Dublin at Christmas”.
He called the passenger cap “idiotic” and said that it was implemented “because of concerns in 2007 that road traffic around Dublin airport would collapse when traffic reached 32 million passengers”.
O’Leary said the proposal would cut Dublin Airport’s traffic by 1 million seats in Summer 2025.
“Irish tourism cannot afford to lose 1m visitors in Summer 2025 simply because Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has failed to act,” said O’Leary.
He added: “If Eamon Ryan won’t put Irish transport and Irish tourism first, then he should resign his Ministry and allow somebody competent to do the job.
“Alternatively, An Taoiseach Simon Harris should intervene and insist that the Government issues a Ministerial Direction to the IAA to allow Dublin Airport to continue to grow while the DAA and Fingal CoCo go through the planning process to scrap this idiotic 17 year old traffic cap.”
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There’s more airports in Ireland than just Dublin and all need extra passengers to survive. If not they’ll fail and we will be left with just Dublin. Time now for action.
@Tom O’Hanlon: What action do you suggest? How can we force American, British or European passengers to choose Shannon or Cork if it is Dublin that they want to visit. Airlines don’t want to use small airports for connecting flights because their passengers will choose a different airline next time around (ever had to sit and wait for a flight in a small airport? Bad enough if your flight is delayed… why would you deliberately choose to do this for a connection?) Shannon & Cork will only grow if there is a demand and we cannot close our eyes and wish it into existance
@Paul Ennis: landing at smaller, out of the way airports is not a problem when the landing fee are low. If the government knocked 50-75% off these fees at Shannon they will be building new runways there in 5 years.
@Oh Mammy: The government doesn’t set the fees. Cork is already a lot cheaper than Dublin.
Landing/Take off charge in Cork is €4.20 per tonne vs Dublins €7.35 per tonne in the summer and €2.60 in the winter…….
Parking charges in Cork is €26.20 per 30mins or part thereof vs 35.80 per 15 mins or part thereof in Dublin…..
Air bridge use in Cork €3.75 per 15 mins or part thereof vs €9.30 per 15 mins or part thereof in Dublin.
It’s not as profitable for the airlines to base aircraft at EICK/EINN compared to EIDW or other European cities. If they could make more profit then there you can bet your house they would!
@Tom O’Hanlon: Nobody cares about other airports, they are basically useless. All inbound flights wants Dublin, that’s the fact.
@Tom O’Hanlon: another typical hate Dublin Airport comment, if airlines wanted to fly to Cork or Shannon they would, unfortunately they don’t want to, they don’t get the seat numbers needed to make it profitable. It’s all been tried before and didn’t work.
@Tom O’Hanlon:
Why not a new airport with all our extra billions. It’s hard to get into Dublin Airport!!
@Brendan shanahan: dublin South, developed baldonnel. Build air corps new facility elsewhere like Midlands.
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: I try to learn something new every day. I just did. Thank you.
@Oh Mammy: I have a feeling that Knock-Abu Dhabi flights would not be profitable.
@Alex: What tourists want to see an utter kip like Dublin. Head west … WAW
@Lulu: go back to sleep.
The cap is a condition for planning permission based on the road infrastructure of 2007. The infrastructure has improved which makes the condition outdated and obsolete. How hard is it to make an assessment on the current road infrastructure and revise the cap upwards?!?! Bonkers country
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: DAA submitted an application to remove the condition, it’s currently with Fingal. They issued a request for further information. While it’s likely they’ll grant it, it will be appealed and held up in An Bord Pleanala. If they then grant it, it can then be Judicially reviewed and brought to the courts. Basically it’ll be 2027 before the condition is removed
@John Lee: Absolutely farce! The Paddy’s are the laughing stock of Europe again!!!! Well done DAA, FCC and Govt!…. Pity someone in govt can’t fast track it as a matter of urgency as it’s vital national infrastructure and for economic growth!!!!
What a shambles. A complete embarrassment to the people of this country. Jobs been lost and tourism been reduced but that maybe suits the government as they have filled our hotels already with people living in them .
@Patrick Khan: there is no room for expansion, its not safe or sensible. What don’t you understand?
@Patrick Khan: given the amount of people that currently fly in and out of a smallish European city like Dublin its hardly a shambles. 29 million is on par with Vienna and Munich.
@Basildon Joe: there is huge room for expansion. Both safe and sensible.
@eoin fitzpatrick: Munich had 37 million passengers last year .
@Basildon Joe: Your single braincell isn’t working again.
@eoin fitzpatrick: Comparing Munich and Vienna to Dublin is being 100% clueless. Dublin is a hub for many NA flights and not necessarily the destination. Munich and Vienna aren’t and Munich was already above Dublin last year. It’s an embassy that you can’t even take that into account.
@Alex: it’s an embarrassment *
@Basildon Joe: hold on now Joe. There is no need for expansion. The new runway project increased the expansion. The airport itself is well able to deal with an increase in air traffic and an increase in passengers. If it was still single runway ops I would agree. It is extremely safe. As someone who operates in and out of this airport on a daily basis. Trust me it’s safe.
@Patrick Khan: non paying people at that !!!!
Why are people travelling a few hours to Dublin from all over the country when there are under developed airports in the rest of the country.
@James Leahy: this is not rocket science. If people wanted to fly to Cork or Shannon or Knock then O’Leary in particular would facilitate them. But clearly not enough do.
The limiting of the largest and most important infrastructure of the state in this way is absolutely ludicrous. We’re an island. Air travel is vital. Ryan doesn’t understand this or doesn’t care. Either way he’s not fit to do his job.
A million less passengers next summer. That’s a lot of jobs lost.
@James Leahy: The other airports are not as profitable! Airlines decide where to fly to. They have analysts who assess the viability and profitablity of routes. They operate for profit, not to provide a local service for Cork, Shannon or Knock!
@James Leahy: You clearly don’t understand that MOST passengers are inbound not outbound and ALL inbound flights want to land in Dublin, it’s easy to understand isn’t it?
the way this country rips tourists off with hotel prices, drink prices, food prices and lots more we won’t have to worry about passenger caps because nobody will want to come here
I don’t think people realise how big of an issue this will be. A million less seats next summer. Can’t see charter companies will get slots. Prices will increase on scheduled flights, tourism inbound will decrease as prices too expensive. This is a national issue over a planning law to do with infrastructure away from the airport. Made at a time when the M50 had two lanes and toll booths.
The airlines should shut operations in the run up to Christmas and bring it to a head. It sounds like the European courts of justice will be involved soon. Thats how ridiculous it is.
There are more airports in Ireland than Dublin and they all need many more passengers or they’ll fail. If that happens we’ll be left with just Dublin. Time now for action.
@Tom O’Hanlon: and they should fail.
@Alex: so Alex nobody outside your M50 matters eh? Dublin is the biggest kip in Europe!
The Govt will probably bring in a Derogation for the Ukrainian’s & all the record numbers of IPAS applicants arriving here. Certainly isn’t Tourism numbers increasing as for the second year running Tourism numbers along the Western seaboard are way down, majority of hotels in our local area all now IPAS centres. To hear this week that 2 individuals arriving here without passports were “captives of the Irish State” shows how the story is being twisted, Ireland is now seen as No. 1 soft touch in Europe.
Dublin needs a second airport !!
@Sat Nav Maps: It dosen’t. The cap has nothing to do with capacity at the airport. It’s only operating at 50% if of its maximum. It’s to do with external infrastructure planning which is no longer relevant.
@Tom tom: we do we are a joke
Just imagine if the regional Cork, Shannon and Knock airports were link by integrated rail and road service that would relieve Dublin Airport. Ryanair always use these regional airports in Europe so the more if focus on the the regions the better
Eamonn Ryan say no more not interested in his portfolio should be publicly fired
On what planet, in which so-called 1st world country would there be a passenger cap in it’s major airport?.What an effing joke of a country we are.
@Gerry Lamont: it will help reduce carbon emissions
Why would anyone put a seat limit on a country’s main airport ? Sounds like some green ideology.
How do you know which plane MO’L is on?
It’s the one that keeps whineing when the engines are turned off!
Dublin is NOT Ireland and the majority of Irish people DON’T live in Dublin. Enough of this bull and start rebalancing the country.
@Padraig: I think you’ll find the majority do live in Dublin. According to the Dublin Chamber “The population of the Greater Dublin Area is 2.1 million as of 2022 Census, accounting for approximately 40.5% of the total population of Ireland.”
Let’s keep it in line, well done. We don’t want to packed in like sardines and queuing for ages. Forget greedy bollix o’leary and his bullshit merchant.
@Basildon Joe: you just think about yourself there joe going on your holiday to Spain every year. Not about the job losses this will cause directly and indirectly. But wait and see will you still go to benidorm when flights to Alicante are much more expensive
@Patrick Khan: what are you about job losses? There will be no job cuts, the place is thriving.
@Basildon Joe: ryanair have already re designated 8 new aircraft that were destined for Dublin to Italy. That’s a lot of job losses. Charter flights for next summer won’t get slots in Dublin. More jobs that won’t be available in Dublin airport from ground positions to baggage handlers etc etc.
3 red cross members dead. 2 wounded by Russian strikes, if it was Palestine we would have a march on Saturday. Where are the Israeli hostages? Are they free yet? Course not, if there were over a 100irish missing in northern Ireland we would be at war with northern Ireland tomorrow. Hypocritical world, don’t let your lgbts fall off roofs or women have no civil rights at all of course. That would be too extreme to be included of that savage world…
@peter willekens: what has that to do with dublin airport?
They are determined to kill off what’s left of our tourism industry
@Fergus O’Donnell: ass ways this country is ran can do nothing right we don’t have even a rail system going true dublin Airport that goes to show you how backwards we are
Dublin should have a 2nd airport will have two over time
3 other airports that should be used to there maximum in this country outside of Dublin
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