An Bord Pleanála has given Aer Rianta permission to build a new landing facility at Dublin Airport.
The right to build and operate the facility and two-storey building known as Pier D has been much sought after.
Both Ryanair and the McEvaddy brothers who have a number of aviation interests including - plane-leasing company Omega Air - had expressed strong interest in the venture.
But An Bord Pleanala today turned down a Ryanair objection, and granted the semi-state body permission to build a facility with 12 new walk-on aircraft stands and an access corridor to the main terminal building.
Although Aer Rianta welcomed the news, no formal decision has yet been made by its board to go ahead with the €70 million scheme.
An Aer Rianta spokesman said he hoped the pier - which he described as a "major step forward" - would be built by the end of next year. "We need this capacity and we are hopeful that we can progress with it as quickly as possible," he said.
He said that although a second terminal would probably be required at the airport in the future Pier D, was still a necessity.
"It is badly needed," he added. "Dublin airport has the capacity for about 19 to 20 million [passengers per year] at the moment. Last year we were over 15 million and we are growing at the moment at an average of one million per year. So there is urgent capacity required".
Additional reporting PA