Dublin airport’s passenger cap and the uncertainty that it creates is causing airlines to move business to other airports, the CEO of the international aviation body IATA Willie Walsh has said.
Speaking at the IATA Congress in Delhi Willie Walsh said the cap, which relates to road transport access, restricts the operational capacity of new runway investments at the airport.
Concerns revolve around the negative effects on the attraction of new airlines, particularly for long-haul routes, due to uncertainty around slot availability. An ongoing cap at Dublin Airport has remained in place for 18 years, with no moves to alleviate the obligations attached to it.
He said the continued use of artificial caps in Europe is seen as a barrier to aviation benefits and growth potential in the industry.
Wilie Walsh shared: “I’m disappointed that 18 years after that cap was introduced it’s still in place. It’s total madness that at Dublin they’ve invested in building additional runway capacity, which they cannot use because they have a cap on the number of passengers. There’s no certainty about being able to get slots for the following years, it’s highly unlikely that airlines would be prepared to commit very valuable assets. It’s night and day compared to what we see in Europe. You’re not going to get those benefits if you insist on putting in these artificial caps that will restrict the ability to grow.”
