Dublin, Ireland — Ryanair has warned that flight costs from Dublin Airport could significantly increase if the number of available airline seats is reduced.
The budget airline’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, cautioned that passenger cuts could inflict “real damage” on Irish tourism and jobs, leading to higher fares for Irish travellers heading abroad in the summer of 2025.
A potential reduction of up to 1 million passengers at Dublin Airport has been suggested to ensure that the airport does not exceed its annual ceiling of 32 million passengers next year, according to a report by RTE.
O’Leary stated that this figure was provided by the International Energy Agency (IEA), which had reached out to airlines and the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) seeking proposals to implement the necessary reductions.
The Irish Aviation Association (IAA), responsible for slot allocation at Dublin Airport, has imposed a cap of 14.4 million passengers for the upcoming winter season to prevent the airport from exceeding its planning permission limits.
This marks the first time a seat capacity limit has been enforced at the airport.
Ryanair also noted that airlines operating through Dublin Airport have been informed they will not receive additional slots for Christmas flights this winter or for events such as rugby internationals or Premier League matches.
However, an IAA spokesperson told RTE that no suggestion has been made to reduce summer traffic in 2025.
O’Leary further warned that the lack of extra slots could cause fares to double or triple, with one-way tickets between Dublin and London over Christmas potentially reaching as high as €500.
