Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 March 2026
333. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport given that Ireland does not have sufficient air traffic control resources to manage an increase in flights safely his views on whether lifting the passenger CAP would cause chaos; the steps he has taken to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17068/26]
View answerThe safe operation of Irish airspace is a priority for AirNav Ireland. The Company also recognises the importance of ensuring the continued smooth operation of our airports and that any potential disruption to services and passengers is avoided.
AirNav Ireland is regulated by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) in respect of safety and the European Commission's performance and charging framework for the Single European Sky.
The performance and charging framework is designed to ensure the efficiency of European air navigation services across key performance areas such as safety, environment, capacity, and cost-efficiency. It includes EU-wide targets, performance plans and cost bases for charging by air navigation service providers. Ireland’s Performance Plan covering the period 2025-2029 (RP4), submitted to the European Commission by the IAA in August 2025 for review, addresses the provision by AirNav of en route air navigation services and terminal air traffic control services at Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports.
Under the RP4 Plan it is proposed that the number of air traffic controllers employed by AirNav would increase in increments to 364 by end 2029 to meet the expected increase in demand for AirNav's services. AirNav currently employs 324 air traffic controllers, up from 300 at end 2023 (including direct entry air traffic controllers in training and student air traffic controllers on On-the-Job Training).
AirNav is actively recruiting and training student air traffic controllers to ensure it has the capacity to meet increased demand. AirNav expects to train 76 student controllers in 2026.
