Dublin airport turned away enough business that would have generated the equivalent of 37m passengers through the airport in 2025, CEO Kenny Jacobs has said
IN an interview with Travel Extra, Mr Jacobs said: There is is an opportunity cost. If we didn’t have a cap at Dublin Airport, we know that there’s airline demand out there for 37m passengers next year. If we didn’t have a cap at Dublin Airport, we know operationally we can handle 14m passengers to a very good standard and get them through security in less than 20 minutes. So we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. We have to do everything we can to comply, and we’re comfortable we’ve done a lot to comply. But the quicker we can get on with growth, the better.
The DAA, which operates Dublin Airport, plans to submit a planning application in November to temporarily raise its annual passenger cap to between 35m and 37m, pending a favourable ruling from An Bord Pleanála.
An Bord Pleanála’s inspector acknowedged the 32m cap was ‘not a planning matter’ four years ago but sent the case back to Fingal council.
The DAA has acknowledged it is likely to exceed the current passenger cap of 32m by as much as one million this year, but details on potential sanctions from Fingal County Council for this breach remain unclear.
A ruling from An Bord Pleanála could potentially replace the current night-time flight cap with an annual noise quota, which aligns with recommendations from the Aircraft Noise Competent Authority (ANCA).
DAA chief executive Kenny Jacobs noted that while the interim increase in the passenger cap would only last for about two years, it is a crucial step to accommodate the evident demand, as the airport could have managed 37m passengers in the coming year if allowed.
