Sonali Tiwary
RTÉ reported on 16 October that the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that Dublin Airport’s annual cap of 32 million passengers may be taken into account when airlines are allocated takeoff and landing slots at the airport. The report did not describe the court’s reasoning in further detail or say when the case had first reached the court.
According to the report, the ruling means the Irish Aviation Authority may limit the number of slots it allocates at Dublin Airport. The report said this could result in an airline losing a slot, or part of a slot, that it had previously been allocated, though it did not say which airlines might be affected first or by how much, or in what order such reductions might be applied.
The case had been brought before the court by Ryanair and Airlines for America, the report said, naming both as the challengers involved in the case. The report did not describe the arguments either airline had made before the court, nor did it say which national or EU court had referred the case.
RTÉ’s report said Dublin Airport’s passenger traffic is expected to exceed 36 million in 2026. The report did not provide a more precise projected figure for that year or compare it with passenger traffic recorded in earlier years.
The report said the Oireachtas has given the Minister for Transport the power to lift the cap, subject to a process that the report said may include an environmental assessment. The report did not specify when that process might begin, how long it might take, or who would conduct any such assessment or how the process would be initiated.
According to the report, the Irish Aviation Authority is not expected to allocate slots for the Winter 2027 season until May 2027. The report did not say whether that timing could change or what would happen if the cap issue remained unresolved by then.
RTÉ said flight cuts appear unlikely if the cap is changed before that allocation process takes place. The report did not provide a specific timeline for when the minister might act on the power to lift the cap, or say what would happen if no ministerial action were taken before the Winter 2027 slot allocation process began in May 2027.
