The legal expenses of the Irish Aviation Authority rose to €1.6m in 2024, up from €1.1m the previous year due to disputes with airlines over the passenger cap at Dublin Airport.
The authority plans to increase its charges for regulating take-off and landing slots from €700,000 to €1.9m to manage litigation costs arising from challenges by Aer Lingus, Ryanair, and a group of US carriers.
Dublin Airport has faced legal challenges regarding the IAA’s attempts to impose a passenger limit of 32 million, with the High Court intervening to put a stay on the slot limits.
The IAA generated a total revenue of €37.4m last year, a large decline due to the transfer of air navigation services to AirNav Ireland.
The IAA maintained oversight of 1,435 registered aircraft in 2024 while solidifying Ireland’s role as a global aviation hub.
The IAA shared: “The sharp decline is due to the air navigation services previously provided by the IAA being hived off in 2023 to a new entity called AirNav Ireland.”
