Dublin Airport gets green light to increase window for night time flights
has been given the go-ahead to extend the hours during which it can use its second runway at night, increasing the number of flights it can operate.
The decision by
An Coimisiún Pleanála
means the north runway can now be operated between 6am and midnight, two hours longer than previously.
Up to now, flights were not allowed to take off or land on the runway between 11pm and 7am.
DAA
, the airport's operator, welcomed the decision, which, it said, 'unlocks more efficient utilisation of this vital national infrastructure which future-proofs Dublin Airport's capacity to manage further passenger growth'.
However, An Coimisiún Pleanála has proposed that night time noise at the facility be managed through an annual 'noise quota'.
'The move to manage night time noise through an annual noise quota aligns with international best practice and will encourage further uptake of DAA's incentives for newer, lower emission and quieter aircraft,' the operator said.
An Comisiún Pleanála has applied a restriction of 35,672 night-time flights per annum to 'protect residential amenity', a move that DAA said it was 'disappointed' about.
But it said that having a clear decision 'resolves the situation' where, despite the opening of the new north runway, Dublin Airport would have fewer night time flights with two runways than it previously had with just one.
The certainty provided by the decision also removes a 'significant barrier' to the DAA's separate application which seeks permission for a range of significant investments in critical infrastructure, including the lifting of the airport's passenger cap, the airport authority said.
DAA said
Fingal County Council
was unable to progress that application further without DAA providing information to the noise regulator, Anca. It had been unable to provide this information before Thursday's planning decision.
DAA said it will now work to provide the relevant information to Anca 'as quickly as possible' so that Fingal can 'get on with approving' the infrastructure application before the end of the year.
DAA chief executive
Kenny Jacobs
said: 'Overall this is a good decision for Ireland. The north nunway is a critical enabler for the growth of Dublin Airport, which is needed to keep pace with population increases and economic opportunities.
'We invested hundreds of millions in a second runway to benefit Ireland but have been hamstrung in using it effectively since it opened.
'We welcome the clarity today's decision brings which removes uncertainty for Dublin Airport and the airlines, as well as having a positive impact on jobs and investment in Ireland.'
Mr Jacobs said the operator was 'disappointed with the night time movements cap which is on top of a noise quota'.
'We also reaffirm our clear commitment to engaging with the local community to mitigate the impact of airport operations and have already begun to implement the noise insulation grant scheme,' he said.
'Today's decision is also key to unlocking the block preventing Fingal from progressing our application to build the piers and stands needed to enable Dublin Airport to grow to 40 million passengers a year.
'We will work with Fingal to enable a decision on the infrastructure application before the end of the year. We need to start building – that's our biggest issue and we need planning permission to do that."
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