On April 11, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) announced the withdrawal of the planned passenger traffic cap at Dublin Airport (EIDW), which would have resulted in a ban on nonscheduled flights, including general aviation operations. This outcome, outlined in a draft decision, follows a robust advocacy campaign led by the Irish Business & General Aviation Association (IBGAA), with active support from EBAA and NBAA.

The proposed passenger cap aimed to address the annual passenger limit of 32 million, projected to be surpassed in 2024. Instead, the draft decision suggests implementing a seat capacity limit of 14.4 million for the winter 2024 season, spanning from October 27, 2024, to March 29, 2025.

Operations not using the passenger capacity of Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 would not be limited by the Passenger Air Traffic Movement (PATM)  seat cap. Most notably for the W24 season, this means that cargo and General Aviation (GA) operations would not be limited by it, in the latter case because they enter via gateposts or the Platinum Services terminal, rather than terminals 1 or 2. In the case of GA, this will be kept under review for future seasons pending the outcome of the disagreement over the meaning and effect of the 32mppa Conditions. We note that, in any event, the question is of limited materiality in the context of the volume of GA passengers, of which there were less than 18,000 in 2023

General and business aviation activities will be monitored for future seasons. The limited materiality in the context of the volume of GA passengers, of which there were less than 18,000 in 2023 is an extremely important consideration. While GA passengers are a very small number, their overall importance to the Irish economy is considerable, particularly when it comes to companies using their Business Jet to transport executives to/from meetings in the Dublin Region.

EBAA, in collaboration with NBAA, has actively supported IBGAA throughout its engagement with Irish authorities. This decision underscores the critical role of general and business aviation in Ireland, contributing nearly €1 billion to the economy and sustaining over 2,000 highly skilled jobs in 2023.

IBGAA and EBAA sent a joint letter to the Irish Aviation Authority to welcome this decision and express willingness to continue collaborating in the future.