Dublin airport 32m annual passenger cap to be lifted

A cap on passenger numbers at Dublin Airport is to be lifted after lengthy lobbying by airlines.

New legislation will enable the current restriction of 32 million passengers a year at the Irish gateway to be relaxed.

The limitation, introduced in 2007, is currently suspended pending a European Court ruling and was overshot by four million last year.

Irish transport minister Darragh O’Brien said the new legislation "recognises the strategic importance of Dublin Airport as our primary international gateway".

The law was passed earlier this week and signed off by the country’s president Catherine Connolly on Thursday. 

O’Brien said he hoped an order to ​amend or revoke the cap would be made as soon as possible following an environmental assessment.

"This will now facilitate the sustainable ​development of Dublin Airport," he added.

Irish, European and US airlines have warned that keeping the cap could be economically detrimental for Ireland.

Nick Cole, deputy chief executive of Dublin Airport operator DAA, said last month: “The proposed legislation rightly recognises Dublin Airport’s role in supporting economic growth, connectivity and jobs across the state, and we welcome the minister’s stated intention to enact the legislation before the summer recess.”