Speaking with Pat Kenny on Newstalk this morning, Conor McCarthy, Founder and Executive Chairman of Emerald Airlines, strongly criticises the harmful implementation of the Dublin Airport Passenger Cap, declaring it as “Ireland’s own version of Brexit; The greatest act of economic self-harm since the foundation of the State”.
McCarthy is urging Taoiseach Simon Harris to take immediate action, stressing that this issue must be recognised as a matter of national strategic priority and addressed at a government level.
Recognise the Strategic Impact on Tourism, Travel and Aviation: McCarthy urges the Taoiseach to acknowledge the significant and far-reaching consequences of this issue, which will affect the entire Irish economy
Immediately Remove Transfer Passengers from the Cap: Emerald Airlines urges the regulator to immediately remove the 2 million+ transfer passengers from this Cap. It was ludicrous that they were included in the first place, as they never leave the terminal nor can they use the road access at Dublin Airport.
Temporarily Suspend the 2007 Passenger Cap Enforcement Pending Review Outcome: McCarthy suggests any actions limiting air traffic growth at Dublin Airport are halted until the review of the daa’s submission is completed. Real harm will result from enforcing these limitations prematurely when there is a clear case for an upwards revision in the light of traffic improvements since 2007.
Additional Takeaways:
Tourism & Trade at Risk: Ireland's tourism, heavily dependent on aviation, and international trade will inevitably suffer due to capacity restrictions at Dublin Airport. Tourism is Ireland’s second largest indigenous industry, with the majority (90%) of tourists arriving by air, further highlighting the critical role of aviation for our open, competitive economy.
Rising Air Fares: Limiting capacity (and competition) will only push airfares higher as demand outstrips supply, driving up prices by €300 return during peak travel periods. That will hurt consumers and drive away tourists.
Flights will be lost to Ireland, not redeployed: The facile suggestion to redeploy flights to Cork or Shannon is not a viable solution. Forcing passengers to use other airports, would be a repeat of past mistakes like the failed Shannon Transatlantic Stopover. Passengers who choose to fly to/from Dublin do not wish to be forced to Cork or Shannon. Forcing them to use other airports will drive tourism away from Ireland.
Dublin-Donegal Service Under Threat: Emerald Airlines operates the government-supported Dublin-Donegal route. Upon renewal, the future of this service may be at risk in a capacity-constrained environment as airlines are forced to prioritise more profitable routes.
Job Losses & Economic Impact: Maintaining the Cap would result in the loss of 20,000 jobs and €1.5 billion in gross value added by 2030, also threatening the 115,000 jobs that the Dublin Airport economic engine supports, as stated in Dublin Airport’s Economic Impact Study, 2023.
Wasted Investment: The new runway at Dublin Airport was completed and commissioned in 2022, at a cost to the Irish taxpayer of €350 million. This runway (approved by the same Fingal County Council which declared the 2007 Passenger Cap) is a complete waste without an increase in the Cap and this was clearly known to the planners when they granted approval.