Dublin Airport celebrates 85th anniversary

A special celebration event was held in Dublin yesterday to mark 85 years since the first flight took off from what we now know as Dublin Airport.

A mix of current and former airport staff, airline workers, aviation enthusiasts and guests from the world of Irish aviation gathered in Dublin Airport’s original Old Central Terminal Building to celebrate 85 years of the airport connecting Ireland with the world.

Since the first flight departed Dublin Airport’s single grass runway on the morning of January 19, 1940, more than 700 million passengers have flown in and out of the airport.

All celebration images courtesy of Conor McCabe Photography.

Speaking at the event at Dublin Airport, Kenny Jacobs, CEO of daa, the operator of Dublin Airport, said: “Dublin Airport has come a long over the past 85 years.

“From starting life with a single grass runway, a terminal built to cater for 100,000 passengers per year and one twice-weekly flight to Liverpool, Dublin Airport today sits at the heart of the national economy and acts as Ireland’s national airport, catering for more than 200,000 flights and 30 million passengers per annum.

“While the look and scale of Dublin Airport may have changed hugely since 1940, its reason for being remains the same: to connect Ireland with the world and to bring people together.

“On this historic day, I want to pay tribute to two sets of people that have made – and continue to make – Dublin Airport such a roaring success. The 30,000+ brilliant staff who have worked for Dublin Airport over the years and, of course, our passengers – all 700 million of them who have travelled through our terminals since 1940.

“Dublin Airport also plays a vital role in facilitating and growing inbound tourism, enabling Irish trade and exports and in bringing foreign direct investment into the Irish economy.

“The airport may be located just a few miles north of Dublin, but its impact is felt every day in all 32 counties on the island of Ireland.

“And while we celebrate the past 85 years, we also look forward to the next 85 – and beyond – when Dublin Airport will continue to act as a vital cog in the function of this island nation and in the lives of our fast-growing population.”

From humble beginnings
 

Dublin Airport opened in 1940 with a single grass runway and one terminal building. The airport’s award-winning original terminal building was designed to handle up to 100,000 passengers per year. Last year, Dublin Airport’s two modern terminals welcomed more than 100,000 passengers on 171 separate days.

Over the years, Dublin Airport has been the location for many significant moments in Irish history, including visits from US Presidents and Popes, global superstars like The Beatles and Taylor Swift, as well as the homecomings of countless Irish sports and entertainment stars such as Jack Charlton’s Irish soccer heroes and boxing champions Katie Taylor and Kellie Harrington.

The airport’s evolution mirrors Ireland’s growth, transforming from a small nation to one with a vibrant, outward-looking economy.

 Dublin Airport’s first commercial flight in 1940

The first commercial flight at Dublin Airport took off shortly after 9am on a very cold Friday morning on January, 19, 1940, and was an Aer Lingus Lockheed 14 aircraft, bound for Liverpool’s Speke Airport (now known as Liverpool John Lennon Airport).

Originally known as Collinstown Airport, as it was located in the townland of Collinstown, north of Dublin city centre.

Collinstown had been used as a British Royal Flying Corps and RAF base between 1917 and 1922 but had fallen into disrepair before being selected as the site for the new Dublin Airport in late 1936.

Work began on the airport site in 1937, as more land was acquired, and site clearance commenced for the new grass runways. Construction of the new terminal building started in the summer of 1938.

The architect of the terminal was Desmond FitzGerald, an elder brother of former Taoiseach, Dr Garret FitzGerald, who led a team of young architects. The curved building and its tiered structure, which echoed the lines of a great ocean liner, won many architectural awards for its design.

By 1947, flights departing from Dublin ventured as far as Europe with Dutch airline KLM beginning the first continental service to Dublin.

New concrete runways were completed in 1948, and in 1950, after ten years in operation the airport had been used by a total of 920,000 passengers.

As Dublin Airport’s route network grew and its passenger numbers expanded it, it became clear that the original terminal building had far exceeded its capacity.

The North Terminal opened in 1959 and was used to process arriving passengers, while the old terminal remained for in place for departing passengers.

In November 1985, the Government approved the construction of a new runway at Dublin Airport, together with new taxiways, and a new air traffic control building. The new runway 10/28 officially opened for flights on June 21, 1989. That year, more than five million passengers used Dublin Airport.

Passenger numbers increased to 5.8 million in 1992 and following 17 consecutive years of growth, reached 23.5 million in 2008.

Facilities however had not kept pace with the passenger growth and between 2007 and 2010 Dublin Airport embarked on a major investment programme to transform the airport by significantly increasing capacity and dramatically improving the passenger experience.

Dublin airport Terminal 2. Dublin, Ireland. March 2017.

This programme delivered Terminal 2, two new boarding gate areas (the 100 gates and the 400 gates), a new road network, and a host of other major improvements. The new award-winning new terminal was opened in November 2010.

In 2022, following three years of construction, disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and an investment by daa of €320 million, the airport’s new North Runway commenced operations on August 24 with the 12.00 departure of Ryanair flight FR1964 to Eindhoven.

Dublin Airport promises to post 85th birthday related content on its social media channels using the hashtag #DUB85 throughout the year and encourages passengers to share their fond memories on these platforms.