Dublin Airport is reportedly turning away airlines looking to increase flight frequencies to Ireland, including charter flights for major sporting events in 2024, as it comes close to reaching its 32 million annual passenger cap.
Airport operator Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) said it is awaiting approval to increase the passenger cap, first introduced when construction of a second terminal was approved more than a decade ago, but that such approvals “will take a while”.
Appearing before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Wednesday (22 November), DAA chief executive Kenny Jacobs said the airport is planning to lodge a €2 billion infrastructure planning submission next month that will increase the passenger cap to 40 million by 2028, according to a report in The Irish Times.
In the meantime, however, Jacobs said the airport is having “tough conversations” with airlines after reaching more than 25 million passengers in the first nine months of 2023.
"We have turned a few airlines away and told a few airlines that they can't grow," Jacobs told the parliamentary committee, adding that the airport has also removed a growth incentive previously in place for airlines as it looks to manage the current passenger cap.
“The impact will be on general aviation, on business jets, on sports and special events,” he said. This could affect non-scheduled or charter flights linked to the 2024 Europa League final and Six Nations rugby matches in Dublin.