A total of 2,900,472 passengers travelled through Dublin Airport in February 2026. This figure represents a 11pc increase compared with February 2025 and up 19.3pc on pre-pandemic. March 2026 numbers were impacted from Middle East issues with around 284 flights cancelled .
February 2026 recorded a 9.8pc increase to 2,351,651 passengers, up 19.3pc non pre=-pandemic. January 2026 recorded a 13.8pc increase to 2,480,041 passengers, up 20.7pc on pre-pandemic. The figure for December 2025 was 2,707,048, up 13.1pc on 2024 and 18.7pc on pre-pandemic, making Dublin Airport the fastest-growing airport of its size in Europe according to ACI data.
Gary McLean MD of Dublin airport shared “March was a very busy month at Dublin Airport, with a fantastic atmosphere across the terminals as passengers travelled for both business and leisure. We continue to see strong demand for travel, and our teams are working closely with airline and operational partners to ensure we are well prepared for the busy summer period ahead. The start of our summer schedule on March 29 means more 100,000-passenger days are on the way. Dublin Airport continues to invest in passenger improvements, with the renovation of our 51st and Green lounge now completed and our refurbished Phoenix lounge and new Fast Track in Terminal 1 due to open in April.”e airport smoothly even during busy weekends around the Six Nations rugby and mid-term breaks.”
The continued strong demand for travel though Ireland’s only hub airport underscores the importance of resolving the passenger cap issue. Dublin Airport is a critical national infrastructure asset at the heart of Ireland’s economy and connectivity. The ongoing uncertainty also discourages airlines from investing in new routes Ireland wants, such as direct flights to India and Brazil. DAA welcomes government efforts to address the cap issue and the opportunity to contribute to the pre-legislative scrutiny process. In tandem, daa continues to progress its Infrastructure Application which includes critical infrastructure and sustainability projects to future-proof Dublin Airport.
Passenger volumes were consistently high throughout the month, with 12 days recording more than 100,000 travellers compared with five days in March 2025.
Activity was driven by a mix of business and leisure travel, with key March moments including St Patrick’s Day celebrations, the Cheltenham Festival, Mother’s Day and Irish fans travelling to Prague for the Ireland international fixture.
The busiest day for travel was Sunday, March 15, when more than 114,000 passengers passed through the airport. The most popular routes during the month were London Heathrow, Amsterdam, Manchester, London Gatwick and London Stansted.
Approximately 55,000 passengers were impacted by events in the Middle East in March, which resulted in the cancellation of 284 flights to and from Dublin Airport.
Despite this, March marked the twelfth consecutive month of passenger growth. This follows the temporary suspension of the cap in April 2025 when the Irish High Court advised the aviation regulator not to take it into account when allocating slots to airlines. The final decision of the European courts on this matter is due soon.
Airport passenger numbers
Belfast City – Belfast International – Belfast combined – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Dublin – Heathrow – Kerry – Knock – Manchester – Shannon
