The boss of low-cost airline Ryanair has warned that a passenger cap being imposed on the group could drive up airfares next summer.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s chief executive, said on Friday that a reduction of up to one million passengers may be required to ensure that the 32 million per year ceiling at Dublin airport is not breached in 2025, which could subsequently lead to higher fares.
In a statement, the airline also called on the Irish government to help.
“Over the past two weeks, the airlines at Dublin airport have been warned they will not receive extra slots for Christmas flights this winter or sporting events such as Rugby Internationals and Premier League matches.
“Now the Ireland Aviation Authority (IAA) has suggested that in order to comply with the 32 million traffic cap, summer 2025 traffic at Dublin must be reduced by up to one million passengers. Any such reductions will damage Irish tourism and jobs, and will lead to much higher fares for passengers and Irish families going on holidays in 2025,” a Ryanair statement on the company’s website said.
Ryanair also highlighted that the 17-year-old traffic cap should no longer apply because it was introduced in 2007 to address then concerns that road traffic to and from Dublin airport would exceed road capacity when Dublin reached 32 million passengers.
“Since the circumstances have changed, and there is no threat to road traffic, the Irish government should now act to scrap this unnecessary but deeply damaging 2007 traffic cap,” the statement also highlighted.
Michael O’Leary said Dublin airport also recently opened a second runway, taking its capacity up to 60 million passengers per year.
“Yet our Transport Minister refuses to act to scrap this outdated traffic cap to let Dublin Airport grow. Since the Transport Minister won’t act, we now call on the wider government, led by Simon Harris, to take urgent action to scrap the cap to allow Irish tourism and jobs to grow in 2025.
“It is vital that Dublin Airport traffic is allowed to grow so that we can keep airfares low for Irish families going on holidays in 2025,” O’Leary said.
