In a move that will bring significantly more aircraft noise to South Swords, St Margarets, Coolquay, Rolestown and north Fingal, the DAA are extending their hours of operation on the North Runway from 7am until 11pm
Currently the airport is operating the North Runway from 9am until 8pm and the change will come into effect from July 4th.
This comes despite an ongoing enforcement case from Fingal County Council relating to changes in the flight paths used by Dublin Airport which were not part of the planning application.
They have also said that night flights will be happening off the North Runway for four consecutive nights from July 10th to July 13th.
A DAA official said:
As you are aware, Dublin Airport has been gradually integrating the new North Runway into airfield operations on a phased basis, with the current hours of operation being 9am to 8pm. In our notification of May 24, we advised that a further increase in operational hours would not occur before July 1 and this remains the case. We intend to move to the next and final phase of integration on July 4 at which point North Runway will be available for use during the permitted hours of 7am to 11pm.
In addition, Dublin Airport’s South Runway (10R/28L) is being temporarily withdrawn from service to facilitate essential maintenance works from 11:30pm to 04:30am for four consecutive nights between Monday, July 10 and Thursday, July 13. During the period in which the South Runway is closed, North Runway (10L/28R) will be used for operations. Maintenance works and runway operations are subject to weather and if conditions are not suitable, they will be rescheduled to take place as soon as possible thereafter. It is currently anticipated that the next round of essential maintenance works will take place in September.
Cllr Ian Carey said:
“Despite the clear issues surrounding flight paths, that remain unresolved, the DAA are determined to increase the amount of noise they are inflicting on communities. It’s not right that people in South Swords and communities to the west are now going to bear the brunt of all the noise generated at Dublin Airport.
“We have two runways in Dublin and both have capacity to allow take off during westerly operations. We should be looking to share the noise burden. That is the only measure that would credibly reduce the impact on Swords and other newly impacted communities but instead of this we have the DAA moving in the opposite direction.”
