There will be a halt to a reduction in the number of passenger seats on flights arriving at Dublin Airport next summer, reports RTE.
The aviation regulator’s decision to limit the number of takeoff and landing slots during the hectic peak season has been stayed by the High Court.
Airlines that took the step have praised the initiative, reports RTE.
Airline companies Ryanair, Aer Lingus, and Airlines For America (A4A), a group that represents many US airlines, have requested that the Irish Aviation Authority’s (IAA) decision be put on hold while they await the conclusion of judicial review procedures they are pursuing in connection with it.
Last month, the IAA ruled that there could only be 25.2 million seats on planes coming into and going out of the airport during the peak summer months.
This would be around a million less than what was accessible throughout this year’s summer, reports RTE.
The IAA imposed that restriction in an effort to keep Dublin Airport under the 32 million passenger annual ceiling that was established in 2007 as a requirement for the second terminal’s development permit.
Although the hearing has not yet taken place, the High Court has already granted the airlines permission to conduct a judicial review of the summer slot decision.
Aer Lingus informed the court at a hearing on the stay application on Friday that if the IAA’s winter and summer seat number cap is maintained, it may lose 362,000 seats and €84 million in income the next year, as well as up to €130 million the year after, reports RTE.
Ryanair informed the court that it will lose 3,000 slots, 550,000 passenger seats, and €50 million annually if the slot cap is maintained.
According to the court, it would also make it more difficult for Ryanair to maintain reciprocal slots in the airports to which it travels from and to Dublin.
A4A also informed Mr. Justice O’Donnell that the limitations would harm its members’ reputations in addition to costing them money, reports RTE.
Airport operator Daa, which backed the IAA seat cap, said the court last week that the airport’s planning constraints are legally enforceable and that those requirements would be broken if a stay was granted.
However, Mr. Justice O’Donnell stated in his decision this afternoon that there was no dispute over the issue of whether this was a serious enough matter to be tried.
He went on to say that, despite reservations about planning legislation, justice supported a stay and that he was certain that airlines would suffer irreversible, permanent harm if the stay were denied, reports RTE.
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