- The owners of D.A. Terminal 3 Limited stated Dublin Airport passenger figures demonstrate the need for additional capacity
- Passenger numbers reached 29m in the first nine months of 2026
- Full year traffic is expected to exceed 37.5m passengers
- The owners stated Terminal 3 could double capacity to approximately 70m passengers for an estimated €3.5bn
- The proposal includes a new motorway connection from the M2 to Terminal 3
Desmond and Ulick McEvaddy, the developers and owners of D.A. Terminal 3 Limited have stated the latest passenger figures for Dublin Airport demonstrate the urgent need for additional airport capacity and a fresh examination of alternative expansion options. With passenger numbers reaching 29m in the first nine months of 2026 and full year traffic expected to exceed 37.5m passengers, the owners stated the figures underline the continued growth in demand for air travel through Dublin Airport.
A spokesman for Desmond and Ulick McEvaddy stated the latest figures show that passenger growth continues despite ongoing constraints and reinforce the strategic importance of planning now for the next phase of airport development. The owners noted that daa first sought increases in airport charges for 40m passenger capacity seven years ago, stating it was needed by around 2024. Nearly three years after applying for planning permission for those facilities, it has yet to obtain it. The IAA expects demand to pass 40m in 2028 and reach 44.5m by 2031.
The owners stated it makes no sense for daa to spend an estimated €5.7bn to increase capacity from 37.5m passengers to approximately 40-45m passengers when they can double overall airport capacity to approximately 70m passengers, including a new motorway connection from the M2 to Terminal 3, for an estimated €3.5bn. The owners also point to the site’s direct access to the M2 motorway corridor, avoiding many of the congestion challenges associated with the M1 approach to the airport.
The McEvaddys shared “In our view, it makes no sense for daa to spend an estimated €5.7bn to increase capacity from the 37.5 million passengers we expect to see this year to approximately 40-45 million passengers when we can double overall airport capacity to approximately 70 million passengers, including a new motorway connection from the M2 to Terminal 3, for an estimated €3.5bn.”
