Dublin airport is on course for 33.2m passengers in 2023, with November passenger numbers matching the levels of 2019.
Dublin Airport had almost 2.2m passengers in November, a 4pc increase compared to the same month last year. At current levels the airport will hit its cap of 32m passengers on December 17. The airport passed the cap when it reached 32.9m passengers in 2019, without public debate.
Daa says that 1.9m of the 30.7m who have passed through Dublin so far this year to date are transfer and transit pax. Dublin airport is arguing that the gross number needs adjusting in order to accurately enumerate the number of passengers who use Terminal 1 and Terminal 2,. It is necessary to discount the transit passengers (who do not disembark from aircraft) and the double counting of transfer passengers, and also within the category of transfer passengers, there is a group who did not enter the terminal building.
A written statement from daa said that discussions with airline customers are ongoing to manage passenger numbers and ensure they remain below the current 32m level until permission for growth is granted.
Kenny Jacobs, CEO of daa said: “December will be a busy month for both Dublin and Cork airports as many passengers will be returning home for Christmas.
There are plans for a new infrastructure application at Dublin Airport to support future growth, but it is expected to take at least two years for approval.”
The new planning application for Dublin Airport aims to increase the passenger cap and build more sustainable infrastructure to reduce emissions and achieve a net-zero carbon target by 2050.”
In November:
- Dublin Airport’s carbon emissions per passenger were reduced by 4pc from the previous year.
- Security screening times at both Dublin and Cork airports were efficient, with a high percentage of passengers going through in under 15 minutes.
- The busiest travel day in November was Sunday, November 5, with nearly 98,000 passengers at Dublin Airport.
Analysis suggests that maintaining the current passenger cap at 32m would result in job losses and economic impact for Ireland in the future.
