Warning Dublin Airport passenger cap could unleash ‘reciprocal' Trump transatlantic aviation restrictions
US Transportation chief Sean Duffy said administration was 'monitoring' EU countries that introduce 'unjustified operational limits'
A DAA spokesman said: 'The US is right to be concerned. This cap is outdated, unworkable, and is increasingly seen as a trade barrier.' Pictured, US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. Photo: via Getty Images
Fearghal O'Connor Today at 06:30
Ireland could be hit with transatlantic aviation restrictions by the Trump administration because of the cap at Dublin Airport after US transportation secretary Sean Duffy issued a stark warning to European airports.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
7 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Behind the Story: Why Irish seas 'urgently' need more legal protection
Ireland needs its own legislation to safeguard marine protected areas, an expert has warned. Marine biologist Rebecca Hunter told Behind the Story that the damage to the seas around Ireland is "quite alarming". "This year alone there are records of Atlantic Salmon that has declined by 90% since the 1970s," she said. "So, in the past 50, 60 years – not even a human lifetime – 90% of Irish Salmon have been lost. "The European Eel, which would return to Irish rivers, is down 97%." Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are areas that are protected and managed over the long term, with a primary objective of conserving habitats and/or species. The Government approved the general scheme of a Marine Protected Areas Bill in December 2022. However, it was reported in June that the coalition could drop the law in favour of folding it into the offshore wind consenting scheme. "An exercise is being undertaken to explore how the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021 could be revised as an alternative approach, so that the overarching objectives of MPA Bill might be met through amendment of that act," Minister for Housing James Browne has said. Ms Hunter said legislation needs to give Ireland the power to designate marine protected areas for species and habitats of national importance. "Ireland already has some marine protected areas that come from the EU Habitats Directive," she said. "I think currently something like 8.3% of Irish seas are protected through those designations." However, Ms Hunter said there are two issues with relying on EU legislation alone. "The EU Habitats Directive never made a requirement for any management measures to be put in place when those sites were designated," she explained. "They often become what's known as paper parks: [so] they exist on paper, but in effect no activities are being stopped, reduced or managed in any way to protect the species. "The EU Habitats Directive covers species and habitats that are important at an EU level; but that misses a large number that are important at an Irish level". Ms Hunter said there needs to be standalone legislation on marine protection. "National marine protection would allow Ireland to bring forward a new list of species that require protection in Irish waters and it must include the provision that management measures are in place," she said. "Ireland is signed up to the target of achieving at least 20% protection by 2030 – at the minute it's about 8.3%. "Ireland is one of the countries furthest behind in its level of protection". Ms Hunter said the seas need their own piece of legislation for protection, rather than "be shoehorned into a piece of legislation that is designed to manage human activities". Marine and coastal habitats Ms Hunter said recent reports suggest that areas are at risk. "The latest reports on the condition of marine and coastal habitats within some of Ireland's marine protected areas are showing that a huge number of these are in an unfavourable status," she said. "There's a whale-watching company in Cork that closed recently because there are no longer the whales to keep that business going". Ms Hunter said some marine species are closer to extinction than people may realise. "There are animals in Irish seas which are closer to extinction than many of the big species we may think of when we hear that word [such as] snow leopards, giant pandas," she said. "There are animals like the flapper skate, the angel shark – they are ranked as being closer to extinction than any of those other species." Ms Hunter said the decline is due to a number of factors including climate breakdown, water quality issues and habitat loss. 'Our sense of identity' Ms Hunter explained her love for the sea came from her childhood. "It's like another world out there," she said. "I grew up, spending a lot of time in Donegal, around Lough Swilly. "There's so much different marine life that Ireland has - the size of Ireland's sea is about seven-times larger than the size of the island itself". Ms Hunter said Irish waters contain "huge numbers of sea birds and coastal animals" as well as 26 different types of whales and dolphins. "Even more recently discovered animals that were thought to be lost: there are angel sharks in Tralee Bay and there's even coral reefs". Ms Hunter said such creatures are "deeply bound into our stories and our sense of identity". As part of her research, she spent four months on a vessel in 2009. "It's a wonderful experience, it can be a tough experience," she recalls. "There were a lot of storms; we had to actually rescue a rower trying to make his way over the Atlantic Ocean at one point. "You learned to stick your life jacket under one side of your mattress to sort of push your mattress up against the wall. "That held you in in your bed, so that the storms didn't chuck you out of your bed halfway through the night".
The Irish Sun
7 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Putin is ‘ready' to meet Zelensky, says Kremlin as Trump's deadline for Ukraine peace deal is looming in just DAYS
WAR TALKS Putin is 'ready' to meet Zelensky, says Kremlin as Trump's deadline for Ukraine peace deal is looming in just DAYS VLADIMIR Putin is ready to meet Volodymyr Zelensky, the Kremlin has announced. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said his boss may meet the Ukrainian leader "after preparatory work is done at the expert level". 1 Vladimir Putin may meet Zelensky Credit: AFP It comes as Donald Trump's deadline for a Ukraine peace is set to hit in just days after the MAGA prez cut the 50-day waiting period to just "10-12 days". This means the Russians just have till August 8 to strike a peace deal with Ukraine or else face criplling "secondary tariffs". Trump has previously threatened that new measures could mean sanctions, which would further stifle Russia. It comes as Trump confirmed his special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia in the coming week. The Republican leader said Witkoff would visit "I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday." Russian President Vladimir Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow before Trump's efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt. More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos. Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
The Irish Sun
7 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
World's biggest airport with 185million passengers to open by 2030 – and could have direct UK flights
CONSTRUCTION has begun on what will be the biggest airport in the world. King Salman International Airport in Saudi Arabia is set to open in 2030, and will be the size of 14,000 football fields. 5 The airport will have six runways and be the biggest in the world Credit: Foster + Partners 5 It will have plenty of space to relax before a flight - and lots of shops Credit: Foster + Partners The mega-sized airport will be built around the existing King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The extension was was first announced in November 2022 and when finished the huge airport will be 57 square kilometers. Of that, 12 square kilometers will be reserved for shopping. Currently, the King Khalid International Airport has two parallel runways. Read More on Holidays OFF TRACK Five stunning European holidays that are cheaper than a UK train fare With the new extension, this will be increased to six and will see 120 million passengers by 2030. By 2050, the amount of passengers will increase to 185 million. With the opening of the airport, the number of aircraft takeoffs and landings in Saudi Arabia will go from 211,000 per year to over one million. The estimated cost of the project currently stands at $30 billion (£22.5 billion). In January 2025, the terminal overhaul at King Khalid International Airport was completed - bringing the extension closer to completion. The revamped terminal features new facilities, including 38 check-in counters, 10 self-service kiosks, 26 passport control counters, and 10 automated gates. Inside Saudi Arabia's plan for £3.8bn seaside resort built on blood as vid shows work underway for Dubai-style hotspot Terminal 1 now also has 24 boarding gates, 40 passport control counters in the arrivals area, and 11 self-service gates. The airport is being designed by the British architecture firm Foster + Partners. The company is behind other projects like Battersea Roof Gardens, Wembley Stadium, and will be designing the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II. In May of this year, two US based firms, Bechtel and Parsons were awarded key contracts for the expansion, according to ENR. It will have plenty of seating, indoor and outside places with lots of greenery and huge glass windows for plane watching. The airport design has been specially-made to create a "seamless customer journey", revealed in a statement from the Saudi Press Agency. 5 It will be in a loop design to create a seamless passenger journey Credit: Foster + Partners 5 The renders show lots of open green spaces around the airport Credit: Foster + Partners Currently, Brits can fly directly from London to Riyadh Airport with an average flight time being six hours and 42 minutes. It wouldn't be surprising if these continue, or even if the number of flights increase to the city as a result of the new airport opening. The airport expansion forms part of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan to transform the country. Qiddiya, an entertainment city, is also in the plans and it is currently scheduled to open later this year. It will have a Six Flags theme park, and enormous waterpark with submersible cars and four record-breaking rides - including the world's tallest water coaster. For thrill-seekers, it will have the largest drop body slide, the tallest water slide and the longest mat racer too. This mega £2.7billion airport reveals 24-hour terminal that will 'rival London's Heathrow' with UK flights. Plus, the abandoned UK airport will reopen its doors after a decade in £500m revamp – and could offer Ryanair & easyJet flights.
