Commission rules for 11% reduction in passenger fees at Dublin Airport

The Commission for Aviation Regulation has ruled that the fee the airport charges airlines for passengers using the airport will be reduced to €7.50 for the next two years

Dublin Airport faces an average 11% reduction in passenger charges over the next five years.

Currently, the fee that the airport charges airlines for passengers using the airport is capped at €8.81. But the Commission for Aviation Regulation has ruled that will be reduced to €7.50 for the next two years - before gradually rising to €8.32 by 2024.

DAA, which runs Dublin Airport, said it was "hugely disappointed" by the decision.

“Dublin Airport’s prices are already 30-40% lower than its European peers and the Regulator’s decision will mean Dublin’s prices will now be almost 60%lower than the EU market price,” said DAA boss Dalton Philips.

“This determination is a disaster for passengers, and for the Irish economy, as we won’t be able to pay for the new and improved facilities that are required at Dublin Airport."

The Authority had proposed and discussed a flat pricing proposal of €9.65 with airlines 12 months ago.

In a statement, the DAA said: "The flat pricing proposition would have funded almost €2bn of much-needed investment at Dublin Airport to deliver new boarding gates, aircraft parking stands, an upgraded security area, and improvements to other customer facilities. This flat pricing plan and was supported by the vast majority of airline customers during DAA’s extensive consultation process.

"The final price that CAR has set does not reflect the reality of the market."

The DAA said it would decide whether to appeal the regulator's decision.

The CAR said its ruling would result in an 11% reduction on 2019’s price cap of €8.81 and predicted it would save airlines and passengers €320m over five years.

Meanwhile, Ryanair also criticised the final decision by the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR), saying the ruling allows Dublin Airport to increase its fees from €15 in 2020, to over €16.50 per departing passenger in 2024.

Ryanair’s Chief Commercial Officer, David O’Brien said: “Today’s ruling by the CAR is disappointing and a bad day for passengers. Dublin Airport already charges among the highest passenger fees of any of the airports Ryanair flies to in Europe.

"Ryanair believes that the original ruling to fix Dublin Airport’s charges at €15 per departing passenger for the next 5 years was already a generous settlement, as it allowed Dublin Airport to retain all of the income (both aviation and commercial) generated by the record traffic growth delivered by Ryanair and other airlines at Dublin.

"However, today’s perverse and anti-consumer final determination by the CAR, now allows Dublin Airport to increase its charges over the next five years, while continuing to extract monopoly profits from its high airport fees and its very high commercial revenues coming from its car parks, retail, restaurants, and other outlets."