The Dublin Chamber of Commerce has repeated its call for the 32 million passenger cap at Dublin Airport to be lifted as a ‘matter of urgency’.
“A total of 3.46 million passengers went through Dublin Airport, making this August the busiest month in its history, but it is clear that artificial brakes have been put on the airport’s growth,” said Mary Rose Burke, Dublin Chamber CEO.
‘Vital Connectivity’
Burke further argued that, by maintaining the cap, Dublin will lose routes to key investment, trade and tourism markets and face a reduced service to other important destinations.
She warned that these routes will be lost to the country overall and cause considerable damage to Ireland’s ability to attract and retain foreign direct investment.
“Ireland needs an airport that provides vital connectivity to key markets, and even the possibility of an arbitrary cap on numbers is threatening future growth,” said Burke.
‘Interconnected Global Economy’
With the Irish Aviation Authority deciding on slot reduction for the winter period, the Dublin Chamber is urging Fingal County Council to approve ‘without delay’ the DAA’s infrastructure application, which proposes to increase the cap to 40 million passengers.
“Ireland deserves an airport that can compete with other international airports and continue to support Ireland’s interconnected global economy,” said Burke.
‘Important Issue’
This statement echoes comments made this week by the Dalata Hotel Group, the largest hotel operator in Ireland.
“The passenger cap at Dublin Airport is an important issue for our business, and we remain hopeful that it will be resolved in the short term,” said Dermot Crowley, Dalata Hotel Group CEO.
“The ability of Dublin Airport to continue to increase passenger numbers is critical to support further growth in the Irish economy, particularly in the hospitality and tourism sectors, which are a key source of employment for the island of Ireland,” said Crowley.
