# Dublin Airport flight slot legal dispute > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/dublin-airport-flight-slot-legal-dispute > Updated: 2026-10-17T22:23:24.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has issued a ruling regarding the allocation of flight slots at Dublin Airport, specifically addressing the airport’s 32-million-passenger annual cap established via planning permissions in 2007 and 2008. The court determined that this passenger limit constitutes a “legal restriction” on capacity. Consequently, airlines do not possess an automatic right to retain historic slots if doing so would violate the established cap. The judgment clarifies that while historic slots provide priority to regular users, they do not constitute protected property under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. This decision establishes that slot allocation must account for technical, environmental, and legal constraints to prevent the assignment of flights that cannot legally operate. While the ruling introduces uncertainty for carriers such as Ryanair and Aer Lingus, the Irish government maintains the authority to remove the cap by seeking new planning permission. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-17: EU Court rules airlines can lose historic airport slots The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that airlines can lose historic airport slots if capacity is limited by legal restrictions, stating these slots are not protected property. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/eu-court-rules-airlines-can-lose-historic-airport-slots ### 2026-10-15: Dublin Airport passenger cap must be factored into flight slot allocation, EU court rules The CJEU ruled that Dublin Airport’s 32-million-passenger cap must be considered during flight slot allocation, potentially impacting airline operations and slot retention. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/dublin-airport-passenger-cap-must-be-factored-into-flight-slot-allocation-eu-court-rules --- Cite as: Dublin Airport flight slot legal dispute. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/dublin-airport-flight-slot-legal-dispute