Dublin Airport looks set to breach its 32 million a year passenger cap next month, it has warned.
It follows another month when the number of passengers using the two terminals reached a record level.
2.9 million passengers passed through the airport during October, up 0.5% compared to the same month last year.
This brought the total number of passengers using the facility so far this year to 28.7 million - an increase of 5% on the same period last year.
Airport operator daa expects that despite airlines reducing their operations due to uncertainty around the cap, it will exceed the 32 million limit next month.
"Across the water, UK airports ranging from Heathrow to Gatwick to Manchester are also shattering previous passenger records and planning to grow further," said Kenny Jacobs, daa's chief executive.
"Meanwhile Ireland, a nation so celebrated for aviation and promising a hundred thousand welcomes, is reducing growth at its key gateway to the world."
"We need to protect Irish jobs, connectivity and economic prosperity, but every day we hear new concerns from impacted people, ranging from tourism businesses worried about falling footfall or sports fans and organisations worried about getting to Ireland for events that put us on the map."
Yesterday the High Court granted a stay on the aviation regulator’s decision to cap the number of passenger seats at Dublin Airport next summer to 25.2 million.
The pause was sought by Ryanair, Aer Lingus and an organisation representing airlines based in the US who were concerned the Irish Aviation Authority’s decision would badly damage their businesses.
Daa has submitted a planning application to Fingal County Council for new infrastructure which if approved would enable the cap to be raised to 40 million a year.
It said it submit a response to Fingal County Council’s request for further information on a range of topics related to that application next week.
The authority also continues to develop a separate application which could increase the cap to 36 million without building any infrastructure.
However, it said this has been complicated by the instigation of a further consultation period following a recent draft decision by An Bord Pleanála on nighttime flights and hours of operation at the airport.
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Kenny Jacobs said yesterday's High Court decision was "good news" for the travelling public, businesses and the economy.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said the focus is now on planning because it is the first step to end the "17-year saga" that has been going on over the cap.
Mr Jacobs said that he thinks that ultimately the European Court of Justice will decide on whether the cap should stay in place, "but that could take years".
He added that "Ireland needs to get better at joined-up infrastructure".
But environmental groups are opposed to the cap being increased due to concerns it will lead to an increase in carbon emissions at a time when they should be reducing.
Some local residents are also concerned that a higher cap will lead to more noise pollution from aircraft using the facility.
Niamh Maher, a member of the St Margaret's The Ward Residents Committee and Forum, said amid all the talk about the economic impact of the passenger cap, the people are being forgotten.
"The people living under the planes that land and depart from the airport," she said.
"The people exposed to detrimental noise and sleep deprivation. The children that are being actively damaged both cognitively and emotionally by aircraft noise."
"The people with chronic health conditions worsened by noise and pollution."
She also referenced the impact of aviation on climate change.
"We are stakeholders. Our lives matter too. The unbalanced approach to the narrative being regurgitated again and again has no regard to any of this," she claimed.
She warned that the issues have not gone away and are going to get worse for Fingal and East Meath residents.
