Transforming Dublin Airport

Plans for a new parallel runway approximately two kilometres to the north of the existing main runway at Dublin Airport have been incorporated in the airport’s own masterplans and the Fingal County Development Plan since the early 1970s.

A new parallel runway is critical to the efficient operation and growth of Dublin Airport over time to an annual capacity of 40 million passengers and beyond.
The DAA was granted approval for a new parallel runway by An Bord Pleanala (Ireland’s Planning Appeal Board) in 2007. But having closely examined the conditions attached, the DAA concluded that Conditions Three and Five imposed restrictions that would significantly reduce Dublin Airport’s existing operational capacity at peak travel periods.

In this context, the DAA believes that its best option is to submit a new planning application for a runway and has indicated to stakeholders that the preferred length of such a runway would be 3,660 meters. This length would provide greater operational flexibility and facilitate additional direct long-haul services to key markets over time.

The current economic downturn and reduction in passenger numbers has mitigated the need to construct a new runway in the short term and the Aviation Regulator has determined not to remunerate the DAA for any such construction until annualised passenger numbers again reach 23.5 million.

In the interim, the DAA proposes to submit a new planning application by Q1, 2011 and is currently tendering for the range of external advisers it will require to prepare such an application.