A cap on the number of flights coming in and out of Dublin Airport next summer has been paused by a High court ruling.

Dublin Airport could see its passenger numbers grow to as many as 34 million next year – higher than the 32 million cap in force at the gateway - according to DAA chief executive Kenny Jacobs. It’s already set to handle close to 33 million this year.

Dublin Airport is set to breach its passenger limit of 32 million in December after recording its busiest October ever with nearly 2.9 million people passing through its terminals, its operator DAA has said.

Dublin Airport looks set to breach its 32 million a year passenger cap next month, it has warned. It follows another month when the number of passengers using the two terminals reached a record level. 2.9 million passengers passed through the airport during October, up 0.5% compared to the same month last year.

The High Court in Dublin has agreed to pause the effects of a Dublin Airport passenger cap that was due to imminently affect airlines’ access to take-off and landing slots over the summer 2025 period.

The High Court must pause the effects of a Dublin Airport passenger cap to prevent “imminent, permanent and irreparable harm”, Aer Lingus lawyers have said.

Ireland’s High Court has agreed to pause the implementation of Dublin Airport’s passenger cap for summer 2025, after airlines Ryanair Holdings Plc and Aer Lingus made an urgent application to the court saying it would negatively impact their access to slots.