Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has welcomed a decision by the High Court to continue to hold off the implementation of an airline passenger cap at Dublin Airport, writes Helen Bruce.

The 32million limit was introduced by An Bord Pleanála when it approved the airport’s second terminal in 2007, due to traffic concerns.

However, a number of airlines including Ryanair and Aer Lingus, have challenged limits set by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), which was allocating take-off and landing slots to planes in a bid to stay within the passenger cap.

Judge Barry O’Donnell had previously paused the cap for this summer, and has now extended that to apply for the forthcoming winter season and from then on, until a final court decision is made in the airlines’ case.

The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) has been asked to determine a number of issues in the case concerning EU law and air travel treaties with the US, a process which could take around 16 months.

 Judge O’Donnell said that in the meantime, the balance of justice favoured a situation in which decisions made by the IAA should not have to take account of the 32million passenger limit.

The airlines had applied for the extended injunction last week.

They have claimed the slot restrictions would cost them millions, and deprive them of some “use them or lose them” slots.

They also warned that prices for passengers would soar if seats on planes became increasingly restricted. Mr O’Leary said the decision from the court was “badly” needed by airlines.

Speaking to reporters as he met Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien, the Ryanair chief said the airport passenger cap should be scrapped in the coming weeks and that this could be done through legislation.

“We successfully persuaded the courts to lift or scrap or waive the cap for the upcoming winter schedule, which means at least we can grow in the winter schedule and we badly need this,” Mr O’Leary said.

“We saw already at the start this week visitor numbers to Ireland were down 30% in February.

“They have fallen off a cliff since last September, when the cap first came in... We said we want the cap scrapped.

“The Government programme says scrap the cap, so, well, we don’t want to be wasting time or months and years talking to stakeholders.

“Abolish the bloody cap and do it in the next couple of weeks.”

Mr O’Leary said legislation should be passed that removes Dublin Airport, as well as the Shannon, Cork and Knock airports, from the planning process.

He said: “You can’t have a couple of NIMBYs in north Co. Dublin, who bought a house there 50 years after the airport was opened, complaining about airport noise, despite the fact that we buy new aircraft that are 50% quieter.

“This is not the way we run air transport on and off an island.”

In a statement issued later yesterday, Mr O’Leary continued: “Irish airports must be treated as strategically important infrastructure and should be removed from the local planning process.

“Dublin Airport has opened a second runway, but the airlines can’t use it because of this illegal, 18-year-old traffic cap.

“We should not have to waste time and money going to the courts. As President Trump... announces his tariffs on Europe, the Irish Government must respond by making Ireland more competitive and encouraging growth.”