Dublin Airport in Ireland is celebrating its busiest year yet, having handled almost 28 million passengers in 2018 — a record for the airport, which acts as a hub for IAG's Aer Lingus and Ryanair.

Now, as work commences on its most ambitious construction project in years, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) is seeking an extension to its planning permission in order to complete the works before it expires.

Most of Dublin Airport's operations at present use the main runway 10/28, with a secondary cross-runway 16/34 used only during strong winds. However, to allow the airport to grow adequately, a new runway parallel to the main one will be built at the northern edge of the airport site.

Planning approval to build the new runway and associated infrastructure was granted in 2007, with a 10-year window for work to be completed. But construction was delayed after a downturn in the Irish economy and traffic levels no longer justifying the runway.

In recent years, however, Dublin Airport has entered a renaissance. Along with the strong presence of short- and medium-haul services from Aer Lingus and Ryanair, the airport has established itself as a long-haul hub, attracting carriers such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, and a hub operation from Ethiopian Airlines.

Now, with Aer Lingus, American Airlines, Delta and United able to use Dublin's TSA preclearance facility for passengers travelling to the United States, transatlantic travel has boomed. Dublin is presently the fifth-busiest airport in Europe for North American services.

Combined with two straight years of passenger growth — both to record levels — DAA is now in a position to push forward with the proposed North Runway Project, confident that the airport is in a great position to benefit from it.

A look at the planned site of the new runway on the northern side of Dublin Airport.


The new runway will allow simultaneous arrivals and departures, being of sufficient distance from the existing runway 10/28, which will significantly reduce waiting times. At present, Dublin has a rush of movements between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. when transatlantic flights arrive and aircraft begin the busy shuttle service to London.

The DAA is now seeking a five-year extension to its planning permission, which it feels is sufficient to complete the project. In addition to the runway and taxiway infrastructure, the surrounding road network will also be altered to accommodate it.

"Over the past two years, passenger traffic at Dublin Airport has increased by 29 percent, which is equivalent to an extra 6.2 million passengers," Dublin Airport managing director Vincent Harrison said. A spokesperson added, "A five-year extension to the existing planning permission is being sought to allow DAA to complete the project."

Work has already begun to clear hedges and structures and to erect security fencing around the site.

The airport is also seeking permission to increase the number of night flights, which were restricted below current levels as part of the original planning permission. Dublin acts as a busy cargo hub, and with the number of transatlantic flights growing, the airport could see demand for more operations during the hours of darkness.