Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport (DUB) is Ireland's dominant aviation gateway — handling more than 86% of all scheduled commercial passenger traffic to and from the republic — and the fifth-busiest airport in the European Union. It processed 33.3M passengers in 2024, an all-time record that pushed the airport hard against its regulatory cap of 32M imposed by planning authorities in 2007 and now subject to court challenge. Sited 10 km (6 mi) north of central Dublin at 242 ft (74 m) elevation, DUB is the principal hub for Aer Lingus and Ryanair and one of the most significant mid-Atlantic transfer points in Europe. DUB is the second-largest of only five airports worldwide (with SNN, YOW, YYZ, and the Bahamas preclearance facilities) to host U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance on non-U.S. soil. The US Preclearance facility in T2, commissioned in 2011, allows Aer Lingus, United, Delta, American, and JetBlue transatlantic passengers to arrive in the United States as domestic arrivals, bypassing hub congestion at JFK and EWR. The north runway (10R/28L at 10,203 ft), opened in August 2022, gave DUB parallel independent operations for the first time and added 40% to theoretical runway capacity. Terminal 2, opened in 2010, hosts Aer Lingus and most full-service international carriers; Terminal 1 is Ryanair's largest global single-airport base. Dublin's unusual density on transatlantic routes — 15 North American destinations with daily widebody service — reflects both Aer Lingus's post-IAG strategic focus and the preclearance advantage. A EUR 2 billion masterplan is under review at An Bord Pleanála to add a third pier to T2, expand baggage, and lift the airport's passenger cap.