Ireland’s government is preparing legislation that could remove or alter Dublin Airport’s 32 million annual passenger cap, with Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien expected to bring the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026 to Cabinet on 16 June. The move would give the minister power to end or modify the limit at the centre of a long-running dispute with airlines and state airport operator daa.
The proposed bill comes as airlines and daa press the government to act before an EU court ruling triggers enforcement of the cap, which they warn could sharply reduce flights at the airport. The report says the measure could progress through the Dáil and Seanad in the following weeks, putting it on course to become law by mid-July.
The issue has also drawn transatlantic attention, with the US Department of Transportation extending a retaliation deadline to 6 July. That extension reflects the international operational stakes attached to the Dublin limit, which remains a live regulatory and commercial issue for Ireland’s busiest airport.