Dublin Airport reported a 0.7pc decrease in passenger numbers for February 2025, with a total of just under 2.1m passengers, as the ongoing passenger cap continued to limit capacity.
Kenny Jacobs pointed out the negative effects of the outdated passenger cap, referencing a dramatic 25pc drop in tourists visiting Ireland in January 2025, according to the Central Statistics Office.
Mr Jacobs indicated that Dublin Airport is lagging behind other European airports, which are witnessing growth, while Dublin has experienced stagnant passenger numbers in early 2025.
Operationally, February 2025 was strong for Dublin Airport, with 98pc of security screenings completed in under 20 minutes and 89pc of first-wave departures on time, despite ongoing flat or declining year-on-year passenger numbers.
The daa has resubmitted its ‘no build’ Operational Application to Fingal County Council to increase passenger capacity to 36m per year, seeking a fast resolution to the current cap situation impacting Ireland’s connectivity and economy.
Kenny Jacobs shared: “The opening months of 2025 have starkly highlighted the impact of having an out-of-date passenger cap on Ireland’s main gateway. Figures from the Central Statistics Office show a very worrying -25pc drop in the number of tourists that visited Ireland in January.
“Due to the passenger cap, Dublin Airport is an outlier among other European airports, recording stagnant passenger numbers in the opening months of 2025 while other capital city airports are experiencing strong growth.
“Operationally, Dublin Airport had a strong February. Security screening moved really well with 98pc of passengers through in under 20 minutes and 89pc of first-wave departures leaving on time. However, it was the third month running of flat or declining passenger numbers year-on-year, despite strong demand from both passengers and airlines to fly in and out of Dublin.
“DAA welcomes the fresh commitments by both Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister Darragh O’Brien that government will “do everything it can” to lift the passenger cap. We need the passenger cap removed in the next six months and we need turbocharged planning that gives faster decisions and allows daa to add new terminal capacity.
“If we remain stuck in the existing planning process and timelines then it will take years. We believe that every solution should be on the table as we look to unblock this impasse to protect connectivity, tourism and jobs. We have shared some new solutions with the Minister, including following the English model where central Government has taken control of planning decisions on critical transport infrastructure to deliver faster decisions.
Whether it’s the Taoiseach, the general public, airlines or the business community, it is widely accepted that the passenger cap needs to go.
Planning applications
daa continues to do all it can to remove the passenger cap. In early February, daa resubmitted its ‘no build’ Operational Application (OA) to Fingal County Council to increase passenger numbers at Dublin Airport to 36m a year.
daa hopes the OA can now move swiftly through the planning process to provide a short-term solution to the terminals cap impasse impacting Ireland’s connectivity, tourism and economy.
