Dublin Town, a collective of businesses in Dublin’s city centre, has called on the government to lift Dublin Airport’s passenger cap, to avoid the city paying ‘a very high price’.
The business group warned that the cap could hurt Dublin businesses, as up to a fifth of city spend comes through visitors.
It noted that if the cap of 32 million passengers a year is not lifted, Dublin’s development will be severely impaired.
The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) this morning announced that it expects to exceed the 32 million cap – which was put in place as part of planning permission for the second terminal in 2007 – by one million passengers by the end of the year.
The DAA warned that, while this month is set to be busy, autumn will be more subdued, as some airlines have shrunk operations due to the unpredictable situation around the cap.
Dublin Town, representing the interests of 2,500 members, insists that the cap must be removed if Dublin is to be seen as a significant European city.
‘The Balance Is Currently Wrong’
The chief executive of Dublin Town, Richard Guiney, said, “Up to one fifth of the spend in Dublin city comes through visitors to the capital.
“This money is keeping many city centre businesses afloat.
“Unlike some European capitals, Dublin is not over-visited, and there remains capacity to increase visitor numbers.”
Guiney said that the cap must be removed if the city is to be vibrant and successful.
He continued, “Dublin Town accepts that balance is required, but the balance is currently wrong.
“Dublin must embrace a position as a leading European city.
“To do that, it must warmly welcome visitors and investors and be truly internationalist and expansive in its collective view.
“The cap of 32 million on the number of passengers that can use Dublin Airport each year is a barrier to this and must be removed as soon as possible.
“Otherwise, the city will pay a very high price.”
Read More: Dublin Chamber Calls For Cap On Dublin Airport To Be Lifted
