Ryanair To Fight Summer 2025 Dublin Airport Capacity Cap In Court

The IAA conceded the action will decrease airlines’ access to DUB, adding it “anticipates that the demand for slots for the summer 2025 scheduling season will significantly exceed the 25.2 million seat cap.”

Carriers that operated a series of slots for five weeks or longer in the 2024 summer will be given priority for the summer 2025 schedule slots. “However, the IAA anticipates that not all slot series from summer 2024 will be capable of being accommodated within the seat cap,” IAA said, adding there will be “very little, if any, available capacity for new slot requests or for ad hoc slot requests.”

Irish LCC Ryanair said it “has instructed its lawyers to immediately seek an injunction in the Irish High Court and the European Courts to stop this absurd self-harm inflicted on Irish aviation and Irish tourism.” Aer Lingus also plans to fight the cap in court. Airlines for America, which represents U.S. airlines, called the cap a violation of the EU/U.S. open skies agreement.

DAA, which runs DUB, said it welcomed the decision for planning purposes. DUB is governed by a 32 million annual passenger cap put in place in 2007, but that number will be exceeded in 2024. IAA’s decision is meant to ensure the 32 million passenger cap is met in 2025.

However, DAA has pushed for the annual cap to be raised to 40 million, arguing the 32 million cap artificially reduces demand. It warned that the 25.2 million passenger cap for the 2025 summer will have serious negative consequences for the Irish economy.

“A million seats coming out next year has real financial consequences for Ireland,” DAA CEO Kenny Jacobs said. “We estimate the damage to the economy to be at least €500 million [$549 million], increasing to €700 million if we consider lost airfares, too. There are also real consequences for airlines, people working at the airport and the traveling public, as well as knock-on impacts on tourism and jobs. This issue is no longer just an airport or a planning issue, it is now an Ireland issue.”

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary called the summer 2025 cap “unlawful.” 

"The Dublin Airport cap is in breach of the EU right to freedom of movement," O'Leary said, "and is also in breach of the EU/U.S. open skies agreement."

He said the 32 million annual passengers cap imposed in 2007 is “absurd” and was “solely designed to allay road traffic concerns which no longer exist.” He predicted the summer 2025 cap will “be thrown out by the European courts.”

IAA said that in making its decision it reviewed “all relevant technical, operational and environmental constraints. Such constraints may include the capacity of runways, airspace capacity, availability of aircraft stands, various passenger processes such as check-in and security screening.”

DAA said its “job is to run Dublin Airport on behalf of Ireland, but DAA does not have the power to stop airlines using slots or passengers boarding planes. In fact, DAA would be acting illegally if it tried to prevent people from flying or flights taking off.” DAA added that the IAA “is the body with the power to reduce aircraft flying to Dublin Airport.”

O’Leary said Irish Transport Minister Eamon Ryan should direct IAA “to approve additional Dublin Airport slot requests from all airlines” or “now resign.” He added Ryan’s role should be "to deliver growth in traffic, connectivity and jobs.”