The US Government could sue Ireland if the Dublin Airport passenger cap is not increased, the airport has claimed. 

At present, the airport is limited to a maximum of 32 million passengers every year; however, both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have committed to lifting it in the Programme for Government. 

On The Pat Kenny Show, DAA CEO Kenny Jacobs said airlines are in urgent need of “clarity” on the issue. 

“That’s why the American airlines are meeting the Minister this week,” he said. 

“Everyone involved in aviation just wants clarity. 

“We have a stay on the cap this summer but it doesn’t make the cap go away. 

“A piece of legislation passed that will remove the cap… at Dublin Airport permanently is a good thing.” 

Dublin Airport Terminal Two. Image: Alamy Stock Photo

Mr Jacobs added that US airlines are particularly keen to increase the passenger cap, adding that he “gets it in the neck from them every single week”. 

“They need more slots and they want more slots,” he said. 

“Flying into Dublin Airport is a great market for them; they’d love to do more flying and they can’t get what they want. 

“So, what they’re doing is threatening to raise it with their Department of Trade that this is an unfair trade restriction on US carriers operating at Dublin. 

“If they can’t get an increase in slots, that reciprocal action should be taken. 

“I hope that doesn’t happen but we’re living in interesting times between the US and EU.” 

US President Donald Trump. Picture by: Photo/Evan Vucci.

In 2023, the United States warned they could impose sanctions on Dutch airline KLM after the Netherlands announced it would cut flights at Schiphol Airport. 

Officials argued it was a violation of the Open Skies Agreement between Washington and Brussels. 

Mr Jacobs believes a similar argument could be made about Dublin Airport’s passenger cap. 

“There’s a treaty between the US and the EU on open skies and that open skies treaty is the highest power when it comes to law,” he said. 

“No domestic planning condition or no EU regulation can do anything that gets in the way of that open skies treaty. 

“The US carriers are arguing that, ‘Look, in Ireland you have a domestic planning condition that’s getting in the way of the open skies treaty.’ 

“Ryanair and Aer Lingus have been arguing that you have EU regulation that should take precedence over the domestic planning condition.”

Planning reform

In the medium-term, Mr Jacobs wants the Government to oversee large infrastructure projects - such as Dublin Airport - instead of county councils. 

“Ultimately in Ireland, big infrastructure should apply directly to a group of specialist planners that make decisions quickly and make decisions in the national interest,” he said. 

“Not local interests and I think that’s really a different model. 

“That’s what the UK does… Certainly, in our experience, it’s better done at a national level.”

Main image: Dublin Airport. Picture by: Sam Boal Collins Photos