RTE’s Prime Time programme revealed this week how issues around the use of new flight paths can be resolved at Dublin Airport.
The programme outlined how the reason for divergent flight paths is so that they give sufficient separation from a flights on the south runway who may need to fly around again – known as a missed approach.
As part of an investigation into the issue, the RTE presenter went with a pilot in a flight simulator where it was shown that a missed approach off the south runway could be designed to allow for flight paths off the north runway to stick to what was projected in their planning permission.
It revealed a document from AirNav Ireland which states that redesigning the missed approah on the south runway was only ‘briefly considered’ early on in the process and that it could be redesigned in consultaiton with the defence forces, if the DAA were to request it.
Cllr Ian Carey said:
“This new information is an important development because it shows that the DAA have the ability to correct their very clear mistake here but are chosing to double down.
“Communities are being ravaged by the DAA’s refusal to address this clearly huge error. Right now people who got planning permission to build homes believing they would only be partially impacted are being severely impacted. It’s a spectacular betrayal of trust and shows nothing but contempt for planning laws, due process, and fairness.
“Adjusting the flight paths to what was originally planned wouldn’t impact one flight – so it is difficult to understand the unwillingness to correct this error. I can only assume that the DAA are trying to resist any regulation in the public interest.”
