The Irish government is being urged by Ryanair to push ahead with plans for a €240 million second runway at Dublin airport.
The low-fares carrier warned that runway capacity is full at peak times but plans have been hit by repeated official delays.
Ryanair chief executive, Michael O’Leary, said: “The present runway infrastructure at Dublin airport is already full at peak times.
“The development of the second runway is a critical piece of national infrastructure which needs to be expedited, especially when Ireland is trying to attract overseas investment that may be leaving the UK in the run up to Brexit in March 2019.”
He added: “Ryanair is unable to base additional aircraft at Dublin because there are no spare slots in the early morning for additional departures.”
He described a delay of more than 12 months in getting primary legislation to allow the Irish Aviation Authority to monitor noise regulation approved to expand the airport as “unacceptable”.
O’Leary said: “We call on the government, the Department of Transport, and the Attorney General’s office to explain these repeated delays and confirm when this necessary noise legislation will be implemented by statutory instrument to allow Dublin’s second runway to proceed.
“The time for delay is over; we need urgent action to deliver runway two to prevent Ireland’s airport infrastructure falling further behind its international competitors.”