Aer Lingus chief executive Lynne Embleton has issued the airline’s strongest warning yet that Ireland risks losing future long-haul capacity – and the jobs, investment and tourism it supports – unless politicians abolish the 32-million-passenger limit at Dublin Airport within the next few weeks.
Speaking ahead of Oireachtas committee hearings on the Dublin Airport Bill 2026, Embleton said the carrier is already planning its summer 2027 schedule and needs certainty that regulators will not be forced to slash take-off and landing slots to comply with the antiquated planning condition. A parallel complaint lodged in Washington by Airlines for America could also prompt the US Department of Transportation to restrict Irish airlines’ access to US airports if the cap is not lifted.
Industry sources estimate that a post-cap Dublin Airport could handle at least 40 million passengers a year by 2030, connecting Ireland directly with fast-growing markets in India and South America and underpinning export growth. Critics of the cap also argue that dispersing traffic to smaller airports is unrealistic because 85 % of foreign direct investment is clustered within a 90-minute catchment of Dublin.
![Aer Lingus presses Government to scrap Dublin Airport passenger cap before EU ruling]()
The Government removed the cap from the airport’s planning permission on 10 February, but legislation is still required to extinguish the condition definitively and prevent any future reinstatement. Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien has labelled the Bill an “absolute priority”, yet Aer Lingus warns that a delay beyond summer could see aircraft redeployed to better-connected European hubs, eroding Ireland’s competitiveness.
Whether you’re a corporate travel manager weighing contingency plans or a leisure traveller eager to book one of the promised new long-haul routes, VisaHQ can help ensure that shifting aviation policies don’t derail your trip. The company’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers fast, up-to-date visa and passport services for more than 200 destinations, providing alerts and documentation support so passengers can take full advantage of any extra capacity that opens at Dublin Airport.
For mobility managers the message is clear: 2027 seat availability and fare levels on key transatlantic and emerging-market routes will hinge on whether the cap is killed quickly. Corporates are being advised to lock in capacity agreements early and monitor legislative progress closely.
Speaking ahead of Oireachtas committee hearings on the Dublin Airport Bill 2026, Embleton said the carrier is already planning its summer 2027 schedule and needs certainty that regulators will not be forced to slash take-off and landing slots to comply with the antiquated planning condition. A parallel complaint lodged in Washington by Airlines for America could also prompt the US Department of Transportation to restrict Irish airlines’ access to US airports if the cap is not lifted.
Industry sources estimate that a post-cap Dublin Airport could handle at least 40 million passengers a year by 2030, connecting Ireland directly with fast-growing markets in India and South America and underpinning export growth. Critics of the cap also argue that dispersing traffic to smaller airports is unrealistic because 85 % of foreign direct investment is clustered within a 90-minute catchment of Dublin.
The Government removed the cap from the airport’s planning permission on 10 February, but legislation is still required to extinguish the condition definitively and prevent any future reinstatement. Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien has labelled the Bill an “absolute priority”, yet Aer Lingus warns that a delay beyond summer could see aircraft redeployed to better-connected European hubs, eroding Ireland’s competitiveness.
Whether you’re a corporate travel manager weighing contingency plans or a leisure traveller eager to book one of the promised new long-haul routes, VisaHQ can help ensure that shifting aviation policies don’t derail your trip. The company’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers fast, up-to-date visa and passport services for more than 200 destinations, providing alerts and documentation support so passengers can take full advantage of any extra capacity that opens at Dublin Airport.
For mobility managers the message is clear: 2027 seat availability and fare levels on key transatlantic and emerging-market routes will hinge on whether the cap is killed quickly. Corporates are being advised to lock in capacity agreements early and monitor legislative progress closely.
