Ireland to Pass Law Lifting Dublin Airport Passenger Cap by Summer Recess
Government Plans and Industry Reactions to Dublin Airport Passenger Cap
By Kate Abnett and Padraic Halpin
Legislative Timeline and Government Intentions
BRUSSELS/DUBLIN, May 22 (Reuters) - The Irish government plans to enact a law by mid-July to lift a cap on passenger numbers at Dublin Airport, which has come under fire from U.S. airlines, the country's transport minister said on Friday.
The government is racing to lift the 32 million passenger-per-year cap, which is currently suspended pending a European Court ruling. The airport overshot the limit by 4 million passengers last year.
Statements from the Transport Minister
"It's my intention, if we can at all, with a fair wind, to get the legislation passed through the Dail (lower house of parliament) and Seanad (upper house) by the summer recess, which is the middle of July," Ireland's transport, energy and climate minister Darragh O'Brien told Reuters in an interview.
"If it's not that, it will be early September," he added.
Background and Local Perspectives
The number of passengers at Ireland's main airport was capped at 32 million by planners in 2007, in part to avoid local road congestion.
Community and Environmental Concerns
Some local residents support capping passenger numbers at the airport, which carries around 80% of the country's air traffic. Environment groups have warned its removal would weaken oversight of a high-emission sector.
Economic and Aviation Industry Views
But the measure has been opposed by Irish airline bosses, who warn it would damage the country's economy and harm plans to make Dublin an international aviation hub to rival London's Heathrow.
"Dublin Airport is of strategic national importance for our country, and the cap needs to be removed," O'Brien said.
International Reactions and Potential Consequences
U.S. Airline and Government Responses
U.S. airlines have also opposed the cap, prompting local carriers to warn that the U.S. government could retaliate and restrict transatlantic flights from Dublin if the cap is not quickly scrapped.
Airlines for America Complaint
Industry group Airlines for America filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation in January, accusing Ireland of breaching an EU-U.S. agreement granting airlines the right to operate in each jurisdiction and asking it to curtail Irish carriers' access to the U.S. if the cap is not scrapped.
O'Brien said the U.S. government was satisfied with the timeline he had laid out.
European Airline Concerns Over Jet Fuel Supply
European airlines have warned they could face jet fuel shortages within weeks as a result of supply disruptions triggered by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Irish Government's Fuel Supply Analysis
Ireland is not facing imminent supply shortages, and the government's analysis foresees no fuel supply shortages for the rest of this year, O'Brien said.
(Reporting by Kate Abnett and Padraic Halpin; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
