The passenger cap at Dublin Airport is damaging growth in tourism and increasing the cost of air travel, according to the head of Ryanair.
Michael O'Leary is calling on the Government to scrap the 32 million passenger cap which was introduced in 2007.
The cap was introduced to address concerns around road traffic access to and from Dublin Airport.
Ryanair claims no such strain exists and traffic around Dublin Airport is moving freely.
The airline says the wider Government should now act to scrap what it describes as an "unnecessary but deeply damaging" cap.
Over the past two weeks 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.
Ryanair also criticised proposals from the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) to reduce summer traffic to comply with the cap.
"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," it said in a statement.
'Stupid traffic cap'
Ryanair Chief Michael O'Leary said he believes the reasons for the passenger cap are no longer valid.
"We have been calling for two years on Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to scrap this stupid 2007 traffic cap," he said.
"Sadly, he has failed to act, preferring to hide behind the planning process," he said.
"This planning restriction, which dates from 2007, was designed to address fears that road access to/from the airport would not be able to facilitate traffic over 32 million per year.
"It is clear that this concern is no longer valid and since road traffic is not an issue, Minister Ryan should instruct the IAA to ignore this 17-year-old cap."
Passengers wait to board a 'redeye' early morning flight at Dublin Airport in May 2010. Image: Peter Titmuss / AlamyMr O'Leary said Irish jobs shouldn't be damaged by a 'defective' restriction.
"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," he said.
"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.
"If the latest proposals from the IAA to comply with this outdated cap proceed, then airlines based at Dublin will not be able to add extra flights this Christmas.
"Irish tourism and Irish jobs should not be damaged by a 17-year-old, defective planning restriction.
"An effective Transport Minister would scrap this cap," he added.
The DAA has submitted a planning application to Fingal County Council seeking to increase the passenger cap to 40 million passengers per annum.
