Dublin Airport processed 2.9 million passengers in March 2026—an 11 % year-on-year increase and the twelfth consecutive month of growth, according to figures released on 8 April by operator daa. More than 100 000 travellers passed through the terminals on 12 separate days, fuelled by St Patrick’s Day tourism, the Cheltenham Festival and a bumper weekend of Six Nations rugby travel. The surge comes despite the lingering uncertainty over the airport’s 32-million-passenger planning cap and recent weather-related cancellations of nearly 300 flights linked to Middle-East tensions. London Heathrow, Amsterdam and Manchester remained the top three routes, underscoring the importance of short-haul connectors for Ireland’s outbound corporate market. daa managing director Gary McLean used the data release to renew calls for a permanent resolution to the capacity cap, warning that airlines are delaying decisions on strategic routes such as Mumbai and São Paulo until they receive clarity.
![Dublin Airport passenger traffic jumps 11 % in March, intensifying capacity debate]()
For companies whose travel itineraries now stretch further afield, ensuring that employees have the correct visas in hand is just as critical as securing the best airfare. VisaHQ’s Irish portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers an end-to-end service for business travelers, from real-time requirement checks to expedited processing and passport renewals, helping travel managers avoid last-minute disruptions as new long-haul routes such as Mumbai or São Paulo eventually come online.
The figures will also feature prominently in consultations with the Irish Aviation Authority, which yesterday proposed relaxing the cap for winter 2026. For mobility managers the numbers translate into busier terminals, longer security queues and continued pressure on peak-hour fares. daa says it will open a refurbished Phoenix Lounge and a new Terminal 1 Fast-Track channel later this month—a welcome development for premium travellers—but union sources caution that staffing is already “running hot” ahead of the summer ramp-up. Travel buyers should lock in high-volume corporate fares early and consider routing some traffic through Shannon or Cork where feasible. They should also brief travellers on self-service immigration kiosks being trialled in Terminal 2, which could shave precious minutes off connection times during busy periods.
For companies whose travel itineraries now stretch further afield, ensuring that employees have the correct visas in hand is just as critical as securing the best airfare. VisaHQ’s Irish portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers an end-to-end service for business travelers, from real-time requirement checks to expedited processing and passport renewals, helping travel managers avoid last-minute disruptions as new long-haul routes such as Mumbai or São Paulo eventually come online.
The figures will also feature prominently in consultations with the Irish Aviation Authority, which yesterday proposed relaxing the cap for winter 2026. For mobility managers the numbers translate into busier terminals, longer security queues and continued pressure on peak-hour fares. daa says it will open a refurbished Phoenix Lounge and a new Terminal 1 Fast-Track channel later this month—a welcome development for premium travellers—but union sources caution that staffing is already “running hot” ahead of the summer ramp-up. Travel buyers should lock in high-volume corporate fares early and consider routing some traffic through Shannon or Cork where feasible. They should also brief travellers on self-service immigration kiosks being trialled in Terminal 2, which could shave precious minutes off connection times during busy periods.
