Dublin Airport Authority is back in court today as the case over the controversial passenger cap continues. 

The DAA, which runs Dublin and Cork Airport, also published its passenger numbers for the month of November with a record 2.5 million people using both airports.

So far this year, 31 million passengers have travelled through the airport and it is expected that the 32 million passenger cap will be breached by the end of the month.

DAA chief executive Kenny Jacobs told Breakfast Business that the airport has tried to “dampen down” the numbers in order to comply the passenger cap.

“It's been a very busy November at both airports,” he said.

“[Cork] continues to be the fastest growing airport in the country - we want that to continue.

“Dublin will finish up, I think, slightly over 33 million this year.

“We've worked hard to dampen down demand, we want to comply with the 32 million planning condition that exists."

"There's demand out there"

Mr Jacobs said the DAA is “doing everything” they can to comply with the passenger cap but he thinks “there's greater demand out there”.

“We need inbound and outbound aviation and that traffic - tourism needs it, the domestic economy needs it,” he said.

“There's demand out there for around 37 million passengers a year [and] we can operationally cater for 40 million.

“We are an island off an island off the periphery of Europe - we are very, very open.

“We need inbound tourism, we need outbound connectivity and that's what we're mandated to do and that's what we're looking to do through the planning.”

"Pecking order"

On the court case, Mr Jacobs said it has been “indicated by the High Court that this will probably end up in Luxembourg” in front of the European Court of Justice.

“They will bring clarity in terms of what is the pecking order around three pieces of legislation - domestic planning, European slots regulation and the open skies agreement,” Mr Kenny said. 

“I am pretty clear that Europe will say European slots regulation takes precedence over domestic planning, and the international treaty between the US and Europe on Open Skies takes precedence as well.” 

Mr Kenny said the judicial stay put on the passenger cap will mean growth for Dublin Airport this coming summer.

“We still need clarity on this situation and that clarity comes when planning moves faster and we get a 40 million application approved,” he said.

"We all need to do more on sustainability"

Mr Jacobs said he was disappointed to see the Green Party only have one TD re-elected to Dáil Éireann.

He believes the party has done “a really good job at putting a very important topic front and centre in the minds of Irish consumers and the minds of every business”.

“I think they've generally absolutely put the jump start to us all to say we have to do more in sustainability - the world and Ireland has to do more in sustainability,” he said.

“The Green agenda doesn't go away because they lose seats - we all need to do more on sustainability.”

Mr Jacobs also advised passengers to “book early” when it comes to parking around the airport in the lead up to Christmas.

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Aer Lingus plane on ground at Dublin airport. Image: Alamy