Ryanair has added an extra 50,000 winter seats on flights between Belfast International Airport and London Stansted as lobbying efforts continue in the Republic to lift a cap on passenger numbers using Dublin Airport.
The airport has already reached its annual cap of 32 million passengers, meaning airlines will face restrictions on the number of additional flights they can introduce for the high demand festive season.
Ryanair said it typically adds up to 270,000 seats for flights in and out of Dublin during the busy Christmas period.
The budget carrier said it is planning to introduce extra flights in the north to compensate for the restrictions.
Ryanair currently flies twice daily between Belfast International Airport and London Stansted.
It has already increased that to six daily flights from December 20.
Ryanair boss, Michael O’Leary has warned that the inability to add extra flights at Dublin Airport will see prices rise sharply.
“Currently today in late August, our lowest fares from London to Dublin on Friday 20, Saturday 21 or Sunday 22 December are rapidly approaching €100 one-way due to this Government’s failure to allow airlines to run extra flights to/from Dublin this Christmas.”
The cap on passenger numbers at Dublin Airport was put in place during 2007 as a condition of the planning approval for Terminal 2.
It was based on concerns over the ability of the road network to cope with heavier traffic volumes.
Ryanair claims the number of passengers using public transport has increased significantly since the cap was put in place.
Irish Transport Minister Eamon Ryan maintains he cannot legally interfere with an independent planning process.
Dublin Airport has ramped up its lobbying efforts to lift the cap.
In an interview over the weekend, the chief executive of Dublin Airport operator DAA, Kenny Jacobs, claimed the cap could cost the Irish tourist economy €500m next year and put up to 1,000 aviation jobs at risk.
The operator has submitted a new planning application seeking to lift the cap to 40 million passengers per year.
Even if it proves successful, it’s expected to take several years to reach approval stage.
Environmentalists and some local residents are opposed to lifting the cap.
