Here are the recent changes at Dublin Airport that affect how you travel, from new routes and price changes to construction and security rules. This page was last updated in August 2026. It covers what has changed, not today's live status.
Checking live delays and departures today
For today's delays, cancellations and live departure boards, check the official Dublin Airport website and your airline app, or a flight tracker such as Flightradar24. This page tracks the changes that stick, not minute-by-minute status.
Passenger cap / planning
- 10 Feb 2026 Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien secured Cabinet approval to publish the General Scheme of the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026, which would give the Minister power to remove the 32-million annual passenger ceiling (a 2007 planning condition tied to Terminal 2). O'Brien has said the cap will be gone before the end of 2026. (source)
- 24 Mar 2026 daa and the Government stressed there will be "no free-for-all" once the cap is lifted; An Coimisiún Pleanála must still complete environmental and noise assessments before any order removing the limit can take effect. (source)
- 26 Dec 2025 The Irish Times reported the long-running passenger-cap saga could finally be resolved in 2026 after years of legal stays and regulatory rows. (source)
Passenger records / milestones
- 16 Jan 2026 Dublin Airport confirmed a record 36.43 million passengers in 2025, up 5.1% on 2024 and far beyond the official 32m cap. On 215 days more than 100,000 passengers passed through; the busiest single day on record was Sunday 10 August 2025 with 130,427 passengers. More than 2 million used the US pre-clearance facility in Terminal 2 for the first time. (source)
Security rule changes (liquids / electronics)
- 18 to 19 Sep 2025 Dublin Airport scrapped the 100ml liquids limit after fully deploying around 30 next-generation C3 (CT) scanners across both terminals. Passengers can now carry containers up to 2 litres, liquids and electronics stay in the bag, and clear plastic bags are no longer required. The switch beat the regulatory deadline of 31 December 2025. Note: the relaxed rule applies to Dublin departures only to connecting airports still enforcing 100ml (e.g. Heathrow, Frankfurt, JFK) may confiscate larger liquids at their own checkpoints. (source)
New and changed routes / airlines
- 1 May 2026 Aer Lingus expanded its summer schedule with new short-haul routes from Dublin to Oslo and to Asturias (northern Spain), plus new transatlantic services to Raleigh-Durham (North Carolina) and Pittsburgh from 25 May, and a new route to Tours (France) from 6 June. Aer Lingus is operating 24 routes from Ireland to North America in summer 2026. (source)
Airport charges / fees
- 14 to 15 Jul 2026 The Irish Aviation Authority proposed cutting Dublin Airport's per-passenger charge by about 15% to a maximum of €8.85 (from €10.39), keeping it below €9 through 2028 to 2029, despite daa's call for higher charges to fund a €5.6bn expansion. (source)
- 2026 (ongoing) daa has been asked by regulators to clarify its plan to introduce car-parking style charges for short-stay drop-offs and pick-ups at Terminals 1 and 2, with revised proposals involving automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR). No set-down charge has taken effect yet. (source)
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Last verified August 2026 by the Dublin Airport Guide editorial team. Prices and timetables change, so confirm the specifics on the official Dublin Airport website before you travel.