In 2007, An Bord Pleanála granted Dublin Airport planning permission to build a 3,110m runway, 1.69km north of the existing main runway.

The North Runway was delivered within the airport’s existing land bank. Careful planning has allowed this land and the associated flight paths to be safeguarded for over 40 years. Construction of the runway took place between 2019 and 2022, and supported almost 1,200 jobs as well as generating significant employment opportunities in the local supply chain.

National Policy

Investment in airport infrastructure requires long-term planning to facilitate passenger growth and future demand for aviation services. Under the Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Act 1998 and the State Airports Act 2004, daa is mandated to:

• Manage, operate and develop the airport

• Provide the services and facilities necessary for the operation, maintenance and development of the airport

• Take all proper measures for the safe and secure operation of the airport

• Operate the airport in a commercial manner

Therefore, it is daa’s responsibility to ensure that the airport infrastructure is sufficient to meet changing needs.

The development of a second runway has been mandated by the Government’s National Aviation Policy (NAP) for Ireland, published in August 2015. The Policy states that ‘existing capacity at State airports should be optimised in conjunction with timely planning to enable expansion of air service connections in all relevant markets delivering wider economic benefits for Ireland’.

The Policy goes on to state that ‘the process to develop the second runway at Dublin Airport will commence, to ensure the infrastructure necessary for the airport’s position as a secondary hub and operate to global markets without weight restrictions is available when needed’.