Aviation

Aer Lingus report: Enforcing 32 million passenger cap will halt growth in visitor numbers to Ireland

More than €800,000 in tourism spend would be lost for every 1,000 overseas visitors that are not allowed fly into Dublin Airport because of passenger cap, report estimates

If the 32 million passenger cap is imposed, it is ‘likely’ that all carriers would look to have a more seasonal business going forward to concentrate on the highest yielding passengers, according to an Aer Lingus report. Picture: Artur Widak/NurPhoto

Enforcement of 32 million passenger cap at Dublin Airport will prevent growth in visitor numbers here, a report from Aer Lingus has warned.

DAA, the operator of the airport had previously warned that the current 32 million passenger cap, imposed by 20-year-old planning rules, would limit growth from next year. It said that flights in and out of the airport would have to be limited in 2024 and 2025.

In addition, the enforcement of night-time flight restrictions at Dublin Airport will see a reduction in the number of flights and will cause a reduction in visitor numbers through the airport, the report from Aer Lingus, which was written by economist Jim Power, warned.