On Jan. 7, 2026 Airlines for America formally asked the U.S. Department of Transportation to press Ireland to lift a decades‑old 32 million passengers‑per‑annum cap at Dublin Airport, warning the restriction jeopardizes historic transatlantic slots and urging U.S. measures if it remains.
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The cap (cited as 32 million passengers per year) risks shrinking transatlantic capacity and displacing long‑standing U.S. carrier slots, with Airlines for America seeking DOT action as of Jan. 7, 2026 — and a reported Feb. 1 pressure timeline.
The U.S. government has recently used route approvals and regulatory levers in international disputes, making DOT intervention a credible threat to carriers' market access (see DOT's recent use of route approvals to enforce bilateral rules: https://hype.aero/?story=146860fd-4485-4509-b110-b85b0348acd0).
DOT has also shown willingness to impose capacity controls during operational crises, underscoring that regulatory tools exist to reshape schedules and access if the dispute escalates (see examples of capacity cuts at U.S. airports: https://hype.aero/?story=ab9ccbc6-1ca7-42cb-8184-44a42c1c3d34).
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US carriers urge restrictions on Aer Lingus amid Dublin Airport passenger-cap dispute • aerospaceglobalnews.com
Aviation Week
• David Casey