The Irish Aviation Authority won’t be allowed to impose a cap on passenger numbers at Dublin Airport next summer, following a ruling by the High Court.
A temporary stay on restricting seat numbers has been put in place following legal action by a consortium of airlines, including Ryanair and Aer Lingus.
In 2007, a cap of 32m was placed on annual passenger numbers at Dublin Airport, as one of the conditions for the construction of a second terminal.
And as the airport continues to get busier and busier, a plan was put in place to restrict numbers next summer by roughly one million.
As a result, lawyers for Ryanair, Aer Lingus, and several US airlines went to the High Court looking for an order to put a pause on the plan pending further legal action.
And today, Mr Justice Barry O’Donnell ruled in their favour.
In a statement, Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, described the cap as “idiotic” and said today’s ruling paves the way for the matter to be referred to the EU courts, where he is confident the 2007 restriction will be removed, enabling airlines like Ryanair to continue to grow traffic, tourism, and jobs in Ireland.
