Ireland is moving to remove the 32 million annual passenger cap at Dublin Airport through legislation, with Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien expected to bring the full text of the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026 to Cabinet on June 16.
The report said the proposed law would give the minister power to end or change the cap and could clear the way for passage by mid-July. Airlines and the State airports company DAA have been pressing the government to act before an EU court ruling could force slot-cut implementation.
The cap has been the subject of a long-running dispute, and the issue now appears to be entering a formal legislative phase rather than remaining a purely regulatory or legal question. A separate Business Post report said the US Department of Transport extended its retaliation decision deadline to July 6 in the same dispute.
For the aviation sector, the immediate significance is that Dublin Airport capacity policy may shift quickly, with potential implications for slot allocation and network planning.