Dublin Airport operator DAA has asked Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien to raise the airport’s annual passenger cap from 32 million to 40 million. The move would lift a long-running planning constraint at Ireland’s busiest airport, which is already operating above the existing limit while passenger traffic continues to grow.
The request follows the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Act 2026, which gives the minister power to increase or remove the cap. DAA argues the intervention is urgent because the 32 million ceiling, imposed through a 2007 planning condition, is adding legal and operational uncertainty. The proposed increase would not require new construction, and the operator has provided environmental information to support the decision-making process.
The cap has shaped airline planning and capacity growth at Dublin for years, with carriers frequently weighing the uncertainty around slot availability and future expansion. The latest request remains a formal bid rather than an approved change, leaving the current limit in place until the minister acts.