US Department of Transportation extends deadline on Dublin Airport passenger cap until May 6

The US Department of Transportation extended the deadline to 6 May 2026.
The extension covers a complaint over the Dublin Airport passenger cap.
The cap limits passengers to 32 million per annum.
Dublin Airport handled 36.4 million passengers last year.
Intergovernmental discussions between the US and Ireland continue.

The US Department of Transportation has extended the deadline for a retaliation decision on the Dublin Airport passenger cap. The department confirmed the extension on 7 April 2026 and it sets the new deadline at 6 May 2026. This marks the second 30-day extension on a complaint against Ireland and the EU over the cap.

The order signed by Benjamin J Taylor, director of the US Office of International Aviation, cites ongoing intergovernmental discussions including contacts between the governments of the United States and Ireland on 31 March 2026.

Airlines for America has pushed for action that could curtail or suspend rights of Irish carriers on routes to US destinations because of the cap. Aer Lingus serves as the only Ireland-based airline on US routes and it would face the direct impact.

The cap limits passenger numbers to 32 million per annum while Dublin Airport handled 36.4 million passengers last year and expects higher figures this year. The Irish Government published legislation to remove the cap introduced in 2007 as a condition for Terminal 2 planning permission. The department views the extension as serving the public interest while discussions continue.

Benjamin J Taylor shared “Intergovernmental discussions to resolve the matter and other significant related activities have occurred, including contacts between representatives of the Governments of the United States and Ireland on March 31, 2026, and those efforts are continuing. It is the Department’s view that these developments meet the above-referenced statutory requirements necessary to extend the deadline for action beyond the initial 90-day period, and we believe that a 30-day extension here will best serve the public interest. In these circumstances, the Department has decided to further extend the period for action on the complaint through May 6, 2026.”