Planning watchdog reverses plan to cut night-time flights at Dublin Airport
In a draft decision last September, the commission had said it intended to cap at 13,000 the number of flights permitted to use Dublin Airport between 11pm and 7am. That would have represented a 60pc decrease on the current permitted use.
In the ruling issued today, however, An Coimisiún Pleanála said that the airport will now be subject to a noise quota scheme, and agreed with revised calculations that an annual cap of 35,672 night-time aircraft movements at Dublin Airport 'would be appropriate'.
It said that number will allow the airport to grow, 'while providing an essential safeguard against excessive night-time activity'.
The DAA, which operates Dublin Airport, had initiated a so-called 'relevant action' to alter key planning conditions attached to the construction of its new runway, which opened in 2022.
The DAA sought to remove a numerical cap on the average number of flights permitted between 11pm and 7am. It wanted this replaced with an annual night-time quota, that would be applied between 11.30pm and 6am. Airlines including Ryanair had supported the move.
A move to a night-time quota had also been recommended by the Aircraft Noise Competent Authority (ANCA) that operates under Fingal County Council.
In 2023, the council issued an enforcement notice against the DAA for breaching its night-time flight quota. That action was stayed, pending the outcome of the relevant action.
The planning watchdog has now confirmed that Dublin Airport will be subject to both a cap on the number of flights within the specified time period, and a noise quota scheme.
'The commission acknowledges that operating restrictions must not be more restrictive than is required to achieve the Noise Abatement Objective (NAO),' its ruling says. 'However its decision to require an Air Traffic Movement (ATM) cap in addition to the Noise Quota Scheme (NQS) was based on an assessment of whether the NQS alone would sufficiently protect the surrounding communities and environment from increased effects of aircraft noise emissions in accordance with the NAO.
'The commission concluded that relying solely on the NQS could permit an increase in the number of night-time flights, without adequately considering the cumulative impact of increased flight volume on surrounding communities and environment,' it added. 'The NQS would not in itself directly limit the total number of movements, which can still lead to significant disturbance due to the volume of flights.'
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