Passenger numbers at Dublin Airport up almost +10% in February

New research shows strong local support for Dublin Airport.
March numbers expected to be hit by Middle East issues.

More than 2.3 million passengers travelled through Dublin Airport in February 2026, representing a +9.7% increase compared with February 2025, as demand for travel through Ireland’s main gateway remained strong.

The airport experienced particularly busy periods around the St Brigid’s Bank Holiday weekend, mid-term school breaks and Six Nations rugby fixtures, with both inbound and outbound passenger flows performing strongly.

The strong year-on-year growth in February shows why the permanent removal of the passenger cap is so important to Dublin Airport, the island’s main gateway, in being able to meet this demand.

The buoyant February follows a record month in January when passenger numbers were +13.8% higher, which, according to newly published ACI data made Dublin Airport the fastest-growing airport of its size in Europe (25 million to 40 million airports).

daa welcomes the continued progress being made by Government in creating a legislative solution to remove the cap and hopes it will progress quickly. daa continues to work with other stakeholders on its Infrastructure Application, which will allow Dublin Airport to build the piers and stands it needs to cater for higher passenger numbers as Ireland’s population and demand for travel continues to grow.

Operationally, Dublin Airport delivered a very smooth passenger experience throughout the month, with the vast majority of passengers clearing security quickly and strong on-time performance across early morning departures.

Commenting on the figures, Dublin Airport Managing Director Gary McLean said:

“February was another strong month for Dublin Airport, with passenger numbers up almost 10% year-on-year as demand for travel continues to grow. Our teams across both terminals delivered a really strong operational performance throughout the month, ensuring passengers moved through the airport smoothly even during busy weekends around the Six Nations rugby and mid-term breaks.

“The high passenger numbers made it the busiest ever February in Dublin Airport’s 86-year history. It was also the 11^th consecutive month that Dublin Airport recorded growth in passenger numbers. The busiest day was on Sunday, March 22, when a total of 103,739 passengers went through the airport, while the most popular destinations in the month were London Heathrow, Amsterdam, Manchester, London Gatwick and London Stansted.

“With strong passenger demand and continued investment in the passenger experience across the airport, Dublin Airport is well positioned for what is shaping up to be another busy year for travel. Our March numbers will be impacted by the current issues in the Middle East, which has led to the cancellation of around 80 flights over the past seven days, impacting around 30,000 passengers so far. Nevertheless, the coming month will be very busy with two more Six Nations games in Dublin, the Cheltenham racing festival, St Patrick’s Day week, which attracts visitors from all four corners of the world, the departure of thousands of Irish football fans to the Czech Republic for the upcoming World Cup qualifier and also the Easter period,” added McLean.

New Community Research

daa welcomes new independent research by RED C Research, which shows strong and growing support for Dublin Airport across Fingal. The survey found that 82% of residents view the airport as a positive force in their community, the same proportion support its further development, and overall sentiment continued to improve throughout 2025, with negative views remaining very low at just 4%.

Commenting on the findings, Gary McLean said: “This research shows that Fingal communities clearly recognise the value Dublin Airport brings in terms of jobs, connectivity and quality of life. We’re encouraged by the strong support for future development, including from people who experience noise. At the same time, the findings are very clear that we must keep improving how we communicate, listen and respond locally. That’s a responsibility we take seriously and this survey helps guide where we focus our efforts.”

Read the full report here