Ryanair Applauds Irish High Court’s Move to Unlock Dublin Airport’s Potential with European Court Referral, Eyes Summer 2025 Expansion

Written By: Prasan Das

Prasan Das

I am a journalist with a passion for reporting on the ever-evolving travel and tourism industry. As a journalist at Travel And Tour World, I cover a wide range of topics, including emerging travel trends, destination developments, aviation, hospitality, and the global events shaping tourism. Through thorough research and engaging storytelling, I aim to deliver accurate, insightful, and accessible reporting that keeps readers informed while highlighting the destinations, businesses, and innovations transforming the future of travel.

See Full Bio

December 14, 2024 9:34 PM

Image generated with Ai

High Court Decision Supports Traffic Growth and Tourism Expansion at Dublin Airport for Summer 2025

Ryanair, Ireland’s largest airline, has expressed its approval of the Irish High Court’s decision to refer the legal status of the Dublin Airport traffic cap to the EU Court of Justice. The airline believes this restriction on passenger numbers at Dublin Airport—despite its dual-runway infrastructure and capacity for up to 60 million passengers annually—violates EU laws governing free movement. Ryanair criticized the situation, attributing the prolonged legal battle to the inaction of Green Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, who failed to prioritize aviation growth over outdated planning restrictions initially imposed due to road traffic concerns that are no longer relevant.

This referral to the European Court allows Ryanair to move forward with plans to expand operations at Dublin Airport in Summer 2025. The airline intends to leverage the Dublin Airport Authority’s (DAA) new environmental incentive scheme by deploying its quieter, more fuel-efficient B737 Gamechanger aircraft. Ryanair’s proposed expansion includes introducing new routes and increasing frequencies on existing ones, boosting both passenger traffic and tourism.

The airline also pointed to the recent rejection of the Green Party by Irish voters in favor of Fianna Fáil (FF) and Fine Gael (FG), parties that have committed to eliminating the airport traffic cap. Ryanair remains optimistic that the incoming government will honor its pledge to remove these restrictions as a priority in early 2025, enabling Dublin Airport to achieve its full potential as a hub for connectivity and economic growth.

Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary said:

“Today’s referral of the idiotic Dublin Airport Cap to the EU Court of Justice is good news, as it suspends this traffic cap for Summer 2025 which now allows Ryanair to grow traffic & tourism with new, more efficient quieter jets and lower fares. This would not have been necessary if our recent Green Transport Minister Eamon Ryan had only done his job.

We welcome the success in the recent Election of those parties who committed to abolishing this idiotic and harmful traffic cap. Irish voters want traffic, tourism, and jobs growth. They want more low fares, and a lot less of failed Green Party stagnation and inaction. We call on the new FF/FG Government to expedite legislation in the new Dáil term to abolish this outdated 2007 traffic cap and allow Dublin and Ireland to enjoy the growth benefits which Dublin’s new 2^nd runway can now deliver for Irish tourism, Irish jobs, and Irish citizens. Good riddance to the Green Party who abjectly failed to deliver aviation solutions or growth for an island on the periphery of Europe.”