Dublin Airport will be busier at peak times next summer

Morning peak hours are 6am to 8am.

The air travel regulator for Ireland has said that they will increase the number of passengers that can depart from Dublin Airport at peak times next summer. The Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) stated that by increasing the number of passengers in peak morning times, it was likely that two extra flights would be able to take off from Dublin between 6am and 8am. According to The Irish Times, the move has angered Aer Lingus which says that the airport is already too congested without the addition of more flights and passengers. The airline believes that the move would mean increased delays for those travelling from the capital and they have said that improvement of infrastructure is needed to help with the extra number of passengers. In a statement, Aer Lingus argued that: "operational delays will have a disproportionate impact on Aer Lingus, which has an increasing number of guests connecting at Dublin Airport." They normally use Dublin as a transfer point for passengers who are going on short flights from Dublin to parts of Europe. Air Lingus has said that the delays that could arise from including extra passengers would have a knock-on effect for other flights leaving from Dublin. CAR says that the number of passengers that will be allowed through the terminals at Dublin airport will go from 3,390 to 3,550. The regulator is yet to be convinced by arguments that the increase is a bad move and it has not been giving additional analysis to support another decision.