Dublin Airport bosses issue ‘home for Christmas’ update after Ryanair €500 alert

DUBLIN Airport bosses have played down the impact of the passenger cap on people during the busy winter season as he claimed: “Everybody will get home for Christmas.”

Last week, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary warned that he will be forced to double or treble the price of flights for people coming home for Christmas this year due to the 32 million passenger cap.

The cap at Dublin Airport that was put in place during the planning permission for Terminal 2 due to concerns about noise pollution and traffic issues.

The Daa which runs the airport have applied for the cap to be lifted to 40 million but this application could take up to 18 more months before there is a decision.

Michael O’Leary claims that Ryanair applied for 270,000 more passenger spaces to cover the busy Christmas period but they have been turned down because Dublin Airport is already approaching the cap.

The controversial airline boss said the lack of flights will push up prices significantly with flights to Dublin from the UK coming in between €500 and €1,000.

However, DAA boss Kenny Jacobs played down the impact of the passenger cap in December as he claimed: “Everybody will get home for Christmas.”

He admitted that the passenger cap is of serious concern and said the airport may be forced to breach the rule this year.

He told the Oireachtas Transport Committee: “I think it is very important that everybody hears this message – everybody will get home for Christmas.

“I know there was some excitement that flights will be cancelled but look Ryanair have already been told and everybody has been told that what you had last winter you will keep this winter that’s the historic slots will continue in the winter of 2024.

“So no one needs to be worried about not being able to get home at Christmas.

“The airlines won’t get everything new that they are looking for but everything that they had they will keep so people don’t need to be worried about Christmas.”

‘GREAT DEMAND FROM THE AIRLINES’

He added: “I am concerned now because there is great demand from the airlines. We’re tracking ahead of it.

“The IEA govern the slots. The slots is what determines the passenger number.

“Different airlines might do different things. Ryanair have already said publicly that they are not going to be adding air craft in Dublin and that’s because they can’t get them in to get new slots.

“Aer Lingus are unfortunately looking at some potential strikes that might take passengers away but I am concerned that we will be forced into a breach because too many airlines want too many slots.”

On the Aer Lingus industrial action, DAA boss Kenny Jacobs admitted that he is concerned at the impact that it may have.

He said they are working with Aer Lingus to try to find places where aircraft can be stored so that they can be back on the runways quickly in the event of a breakthrough.

And the Chief Executive of the Irish Travel Agents Association said it is impossible to determine the full impact of the disruption.

Speaking to RTE’s Morning Ireland, Clare Dunne noted that it is the travelling public who will be the victims and said it’s inevitable that holidaymakers will face disruption.

She added that passengers, who are “really, really worried” about the disruptions, have paid a lot of money for their holidays, and for many it is their only chance to get a break.

She explained: “They can’t look forward to their holidays now because they don’t know if they’re going to be able to go or not.

“They’re facing into long delays, possibly cancellations, possibly financial penalties, because if they booked their flight and their accommodation separately, they may lose on that if their flight is cancelled and they can’t get where they need to go.”

Her advice for passengers is to “sit tight and see how it pans out”.

Clare explained: “That’s really all we can do at this point. There’s not much point in cancelling and losing money on the basis that you might be disrupted, because we don’t know yet.”