Galway Chamber warned that the Government risked deepening regional imbalance by fast-tracking the Dublin Airport Passenger Capacity Bill 2026.
The Bill proposed to remove the 32 m passenger cap at Dublin Airport without a national aviation strategy. The chamber questioned prioritisation of Dublin over stalled projects like the Galway City Ring Road.
Expansion to 55 m passengers annually would undermine regional airports such as Ireland West Airport Knock and Shannon. About 88pc of passengers travel through Dublin and Balfast, leaving 13pc for regional airports.
Karen Ronan shared “Ireland already has one of the most centralised aviation systems in Europe. Most passengers travel through Dublin Airport, leabving the five regional airports share the remaining passengers. By supporting this Bill, the Government is contradicting its own stated policy of promoting Ireland West Airport Knock and Shannon Airport as essential international gateways that underpin balanced population growth, tourism, foreign investment and national resilience.”
