There are fears holidaymakers flying out from Dublin Airport could see inflated prices due to a cap on the number of passengers allowed through the gateway.
Dublin Airport Authority, the body in charge of the airport’s operations, says despite efforts to dampen demand it will take in almost one million more passengers than its 32 million cap for 2024.
The airport has applied to Fingal County Council to increase the cap on passengers to 40 million.
Dublin Airport is used extensively by the northern population because of its greater variety of flights and generally lower prices than Belfast or Derry.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has said Dublin Airport must abide by planning conditions and raising the passenger cap is a matter for the planning authorities and the local council. This process and High Court appeals could take up to three years.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said 50,000 seats at the airline have had to be moved to Belfast International from Dublin already for this Christmas, while there will be an “inevitable” rise for summer holidays next year if the cap is not lifted.
“I think the only thing that will really act as a spur is when the crisis blows up this Christmas, when the airlines offer 250,000 less seats to Dublin this Christmas.
“When airfares exceed 500 euros one way, when 50,000 Dubliners are coming home to visit friends and family via Belfast, then finally we’ll probably get something done.
“We have now put 50,000 extra seats from Dublin into Belfast, we are diverting seats up to Belfast this Christmas because none of us are being allocated additional slots that we have been allocated every year forr the last 30 years.
“At this point in time, we can’t grow next summer. Already in the summer of 2024 Ryanair had to divert three new aircraft which we had pencilled in for Dublin.
“Air fares will be higher next summer, hopefully not by a lot. Where you turn off growth, prices will rise. It’s inevitable.”
DAA CEO Kenny Jacobs has echoed the airline boss’ concerns and said it was “in no one’s interest” to curtail tourism and investment.
Mr Jacobs said: “While our actions to dampen airline demand have reduced passenger numbers by approximately 650,000, we do not control the slot process. We now forecast that passenger numbers will exceed 32 million and will be closer to 33 million in 2024.
“It is in no one’s interests to curtail tourism and investment at a time when so much public and private money is being spent to do the complete opposite. We are a small, open, island economy on the edge of Europe that has always punched above our weight but we need more joined-up thinking in the development of critical infrastructure. "
