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The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has published its draft decision on Dublin Airport’s Summer 2026 capacity, proposing coordination parameters which will be used in the airport slot allocation process. The proposed parameters define how many aircraft may be scheduled to use Dublin Airport at a particular time. The Summer 2026 scheduling season runs from 29 March to 24 October 2026 inclusive. 

 

The IAA is responsible for the implementation of the EU Airport Slot Regulation1. The Slot Regulation aims to ensure that, where airport capacity is scarce, the maximum available capacity is identified and distributed in a fair and transparent way by means of the allocation of take-off and landing slots by an independent coordinator, according to rules set out in the Slot Regulation, and based on the capacity identified for the airport concerned. Capacity is declared to the detailed level of up to 10 minute intervals. 

 

The proposed coordination parameters will support increased competition by allowing for up to 25 additional daily slots to be allocated by the independent slot coordinator, but without degrading the current service quality. 

 

In accordance with the Order of the High Court that, pending the determination of associated legal proceedings, the IAA is not to take account of certain planning conditions which limit the ‘combined capacity’ of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 to 32 million annual passengers, we do not propose to implement any seat cap coordination parameter for Summer 2026.

 

The draft decision and supporting material is available on the slot allocation webpage

 

1 EU COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 95/93, on common rules for the allocation of slots at Community airports, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 793/2004.