Aer Lingus criticises DAA for late application to lift Dublin Airport cap

The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) “could have and should have” made its application to increase the hub’s passenger cap from 32m to 40m much earlier than last December, according to Aer Lingus. In its submission concerning DAA’s bid to increase the cap as part of its so-called infrastructure application (IA), Aer Lingus has called on Fingal Co Council to grant an immediate interim increase in the passenger cap at Dublin Airport pending a decision on the application. In the submission, the carrier’s director of corporate affairs Niall Timlin warned “there is significant national economic risk from the existing 32m per annum passenger cap” and the current limit “is no longer fit for purpose”. Timlin also points out that it is concerning that Dublin Airport “significantly delayed” making its IA to raise the passenger cap to 40m until December 2023 despite initial approval and funding in the 2019 regulatory decision by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).<br/>