Dublin Airport: First flight takes off from €321m runway

    The first flight to use the new north runway at Dublin Airport departed shortly after noon on Wednesday.                    Photograph: Collins

The inaugural flight from Dublin Airport’s new north runway took off on Wednesday. The FR1964 Ryanair flight to Eindhoven departed just after noon from the new €321 million runway and was live streamed by Dublin Airport.

The runway is 3.1km in length, comprising of 300,000sqm of runway, serviced by 6km of new roads and 2,000 taxi lights for aircraft.

It is hoped the runway will result in a 31 per cent gain in connectivity for Dublin Airport by 2034, making it an important hub for transatlantic travel.

The additional runway will provide "much-needed capacity," according to Minister of State for the Department of Transportation Hildegarde Naughton, and would allow Dublin Airport to "rebuild and increase connectivity to our island."

The expansion of Dublin Airport and provision of the essential capacity to connect significant established and developing global markets will be made possible, she said, thanks in large part to the new runway.

    Dublin Airport North Runway Final checks on the new runway are carried out before the inaugural flight on          the new runway at Dublin Airport.        Photograph: Dublin Airport via Twitter

The runway supports its status as "a prominent European airport and a key gateway to North America," according to Daa Chairman Basil Geoghegan.

"DAA has a renewed vision for Dublin Airport and its customers in the wake of the COVID pandemic. We are unwavering in our determination to expand Dublin Airport sustainably and to set the bar high for customer care, he said.

Following the North Runway development, we will move forward quickly with our planned capital investment programme in a renovated terminal, new piers, gates, stands, and transfer facilities that will guarantee a remarkable service and leave a lasting impression on future generations of air travellers into and out of Ireland.

The runway, according to Dublin Chamber, is "a key piece of infrastructure" that will support the development of the Dublin area and Ireland through improved global connectivity.

According to Mary Rose Burke, the company's chief executive, "the increase of Ireland's aviation capacity will play a crucial role in Ireland's economic recovery."

International connectivity is still essential to Ireland's overall competitiveness as an island economy, especially in industries that have been struck hard, like tourism and hospitality, as well as among Irish SMEs that have aspirations of expanding internationally.

"To assist economic development and recovery, Ireland must diversify its markets, reestablish connectedness, and create new trade channels amid the Covid recovery, the invasion of Ukraine, Brexit, and the ensuing disruption to its supply chain. The North Runway's completion is essential to facilitating this global growth.

Since the former Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) received planning approval in 2007 at the height of the Celtic Tiger, the project has been plagued by planning issues. It was to be constructed on land that had been set aside in the 1960s in case such a development was required.

The planning authorization was changed from allowing flights to operate between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. and midnight. More than 1,200 objections concerning the project were made to the Aircraft Noise Competent Authority (ANCA), with the majority criticising the modifications.

A €20,000 insulation subsidy will be available for the 300 homes impacted by the new runway in order to reduce noise.