Pause on Dublin Airport passenger cap is extended by High Court

Mr Justice Barry O’Donnell granted a number of airlines an injunction extending the pause pending determination of the main challenge to the cap. The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) has also been asked to determine a number of issues in the case and it usually takes around 16 months before its decisions are delivered.

The decision means the cap, which was already paused for this summer by a November decision of the High Court, will continue to apply for this winter season and subsequently until the final court decision.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said the decision from the court today was “badly needed” by airlines.

The case concerned decisions made by the aviation watchdog, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) in setting parameters for the fair and efficient allocation of available landing and take-off slots at the airport, where the demand for those slots exceeds supply. The IAA sets parameters bi-annually for the winter and summer seasons.

Last winter, the IAA set a cap of…