European court upholds annual passenger cap at Dublin Airport

The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on Thursday morning that Ireland's aviation regulator has the authority to limit flights to enforce a cap of 32 million passengers a year at Dublin Airport. The Irish Examiner and BreakingNews.ie reported that the landmark judgment allows the Irish Aviation Authority to adjust flight slot allocations to comply with the restriction. [1][2]

According to the Irish Examiner, the passenger limit originates from a 2007 planning decision made by An Bord Pleanála. The decision by the European court now sends the ongoing legal dispute back to the High Court in Ireland, while the Irish government continues to seek legislation that would remove the passenger limit. [1]

Dublin Airport is operated by DAA and is located in Collinstown, seven kilometres north of Dublin. Grokipedia notes that the 2007 cap was intended to prevent road congestion. The limit led to legal disputes after passenger numbers repeatedly exceeded the target, including in 2024 when the airport processed 33.3 million terminal passengers. [3][4]

Passenger traffic at the airport has continued to grow in recent years. In 2025, over 36.4 million passengers passed through Dublin Airport, marking its busiest year on record and making it the twelfth busiest airport in Europe. [3]