Airlines urge High Court judge to extend pause on Dublin Airport passenger cap

The High Court has been asked to extend a pause it imposed last November on the Dublin Airport passenger cap. Justice Barry O’Donnell said he would give his judgment next week. Following the November pause, the court also agreed to refer the case to the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) to clarify certain matters. However, as it takes an average of 16 months to get a ruling from the CJEU, the High Court was on Friday asked by a number of airlines to extend its November order pending the CJEU decision. If the court grants an extension of the pause, it will apply to passenger caps until the CJEU decision is delivered. Aer Lingus, Ryanair and a consortium of American carriers had sought a pause on the cap imposed by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) limiting passenger numbers to 25.2m between late March and October. The airlines claimed the restriction will cost them millions and will also mean they will be deprived of some of their “use them or lose them” take-off and landing slots. The case is against the IAA and the airport operator, the DAA, along with Airports Coordination Ltd, which allocates slots, are notice parties. The IAA, in making its decision limiting winter and summer passenger caps, said it took into account technical, operational, environmental and local planning constraints, including a 32m passenger limit for the airport imposed by planning conditions in 2007.<br/>