The Irish government has taken a significant step towards removing the long standing limit on passenger numbers at Dublin Airport after the cabinet gave its approval to draft new legislation on Tuesday. Minister for Transport Darragh O Brien secured agreement from colleagues for the priority drafting of the Dublin Airport Passenger Capacity Bill 2026 which will empower him to amend or revoke the existing 32m annual passenger restriction and prevent any future caps from being introduced.
This move comes amid growing pressure from the aviation sector and business groups who argue that the cap introduced as a planning condition for Terminal 2 in 2007, over concerns that the M50 would be unable to handle the traffic, has become a barrier to economic growth despite the airport having already handled around 36m passengers in 2025.
The legislation aims to provide legal clarity for stakeholders including the Dublin Airport Authority and airlines while supporting enhanced connectivity jobs and tourism across the country. Officials hope the bill can complete its passage through the Dail and Seanad by the summer recess in mid July although some anticipate a slightly later timeline into early autumn.
The development is expected to facilitate further infrastructure projects at the airport and has been welcomed by industry figures for unlocking potential expansion in a key international gateway.
Although the cap was imposed because of a concerns over ground transport, environmental and noice concerns have been raised by some groups. The government maintains that strategic economic benefits outweigh such issues with careful planning and European Union compliance in mind. The bill will undergo pre legislative scrutiny as part of the standard parliamentary process before full enactment.
