Airlines secure permission to challenge Dublin Airport passenger cap

Ryanair and Aer Lingus have secured formal High Court permission to bring challenges against a decision by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) to limit passenger numbers in Dublin Airport for the coming winter season.

Last May, the IAA announced that it would be imposing a Passenger Air Traffic Movement (PATM) seat cap of just over 14.4 million passengers at Dublin Airport during the period commencing on October 27th, 2024, and ending March 29th, 2025.

Both airlines claim the decision is legally flawed and should be set aside.

The grounds of the airlines’ challenges include that, in arriving at its decision, the IAA acted outside its powers, outside its jurisdiction, and has acted irrationally.

It is also claimed that the IAA has failed to give proper reasons for its decision, and has breached various constitutional rights of the airlines, including their property rights.

The airport’s operator, daa, has also brought its own separate High Court action against the IAA’s…