Aer Lingus tells High Court Dublin Airport summer passenger cap will cause ‘irreparable harm’

The High Court must pause the effects of a Dublin Airport passenger cap to prevent “imminent, permanent and irreparable harm”, Aer Lingus lawyers have said. Seeking urgent intervention from the court on Friday, Paul Sreenan SC said the airline expects to lose E84m in Revenue next year and up to E130m in 2026 due to the Irish Aviation Authority’s (IAA’s) imposition of caps on traveller numbers. He said the company is heavily reliant on “use them or lose them” take-off and landing slots at the airport, 80% of which must be availed of in a season to secure them again the next year. Airlines have a right under EU law to their “historic” slots, but many of these would be lost if the cap takes effect, said Sreenan. Aer Lingus, Ryanair and a consortium of American airlines are urging the court to rule in their favour in advance of the allocation of Dublin Airport slots to carriers in six days’ time. ACL’s (Airports Coordination Ltd’s) distribution of slots is confined by the IAA’s assessment of the airport’s capacity and passenger cap.<br/>