Ryanair hopes the courts will refer a night-flight limit at Dublin Airport to Europe in a move that could suspend its imposition for about two years, the airline’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, has said.
Planners recently restricted flights at 11pm-7am at the country’s biggest airport to 35,672 a year to limit noise, angering airlines already grappling with a 32 million annual passenger cap.
Mr O’Leary confirmed Ryanair would go to the High Court next month to challenge the night flight decision by planning appeals body, An Coimisiún Pleanála.
He said the airline hoped to get the issue referred to the European courts.
Such a move could suspend the restriction for a period as the European courts weighed whether the limit breaches EU laws, after which they would have to give directions to the Irish courts.
Airlines including Ryanair argue that the night-flight limit breaches various EU laws and treaties, as well as possibly the European-US open skies agreement, which gives both jurisdictions’ airlines access to each other’s air space and airports.
The 32 million passenger cap, imposed in 2007, is suspended following a referral of that issue to Europe by the High Court.
That will allow Ryanair boost winter traffic from Ireland’s biggest airport this year.
Mr O’Leary said the court’s ruling allowed the airline to base an extra jet at Dublin Airport and grow passengers by a likely 9 per cent.
However, he called on the Government to axe the 32 million passenger cap imposed by planners on the airport in 2007.
“In January, nine months ago, the new Government promised to scrap the cap ‘ASAP’ yet last week we were told that it could take until next year,” said Mr O’Leary.
“We need the Government to scrap all these mad caps,” he told reporters on Thursday.
[ Ryanair passengers must use digital boarding passes from next monthOpens in new window ]
Ryanair will operate 96 routes from Dublin this winter, including a new service to Rabat in Morocco.
The airline also launched new corporate gift cards allowing companies to use laws allowing them to give workers up to €1,500 tax-free a year in vouchers as bonuses.
Mr O’Leary expects the Court of Justice of the European Union to deal with the 32 million passenger cap in mid 2026.
Once that has ruled the issue will go back to the High Court, which will then decide on a challenge brought by Aer Lingus, Ryanair and North American carriers.
On a similar timeline, he said it was likely the European courts would deal with the night flight issue in mid 2027.
Ryanair will take delivery of 29 new Boeing aircraft by the end of this year. The US manufacturer has confirmed it will begin delivering the first of the later B737 Max 10 jets to the Irish carrier in spring 2027.