daa welcomes Government action on cap

“daa strongly welcomes the decisive action being taken by Government to resolve the cap issue once and for all. Together with daa’s €2bn plan to future-proof Dublin Airport’s infrastructure, the move to remove the outdated cap artificially restricting growth at Dublin Airport by the end of 2026 is good news for Ireland. As a small island nation, global connectivity is crucial to our economic prosperity and to sustain jobs and investment across the country. Standing still as our population grows and other cities and countries compete to draw flights and destinations away from Dublin would be an own goal.

We know there is significant unmet demand for connectivity between Ireland and South America, India and other fast-growing destinations from passengers and businesses. Economic research shows the value of exports with the well-connected countries is over five times that of trade with poorly connected countries. An end to the uncertainty that discouraged airlines from launching new routes connecting Dublin to the world is a vital step to protect jobs and tourism. It is also a positive development for the travelling public, who continue to rate their experience travelling through Dublin Airport highly.

daa continues to work with the planning authorities and other stakeholders to progress its broader €2bn infrastructure plan, which will upgrade and expand Dublin Airport’s capacity and facilities and ensure the airport can continue to cater for increases in population and demand. The airport is committed to growing sustainably and minimising the impact of its operations on surrounding communities. We’ve invested over €23 million to date in home buyouts and insulating homes and schools as part of one of the most generous schemes in Europe. We’re pleased that 50% of all flights to and from the airport are now quieter, next generation aircraft and we continue to work with our airline customers to support their carbon reduction plans. Dublin Airport is Ireland’s only hub airport and a national strategic asset. daa looks forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders as the legislation and planning processes progress in the national interest”.