Dublin Airport celebrates opening of new North Runway

A Ryanair flight to Eindhoven yesterday became the first official flight to take-off from Dublin Airport’s newly constructed North Runway.

Airport operator, daa, is quick to note that the €320m North Runway (designated 10L/28R) and associated facilities were delivered on schedule and on budget and at no cost to the Irish government.

According to daa, the new runway – located 1.7 kilometres north of Dublin Airport’s South Runway – will support the creation of 31,200 new jobs and €2.2 billion in additional economic activity.

Its has been part of Dublin Airport’s long-term strategic planning and land use prioritisation since the 1960s, which has enabled delivery within Dublin Airport’s existing campus, substantially mitigating cost, disruption and limiting construction time.

Dalton Philips, CEO of daa, said: “The opening of North Runway is an exciting milestone for Dublin Airport and Ireland, with the delivery of this once-in-a-generation piece of vital national infrastructure positioning Ireland for economic growth for many decades to come.

“The addition of North Runway will further enhance the role of Dublin Airport as a vital economic enabler for Irish tourism, trade and foreign direct investment.

“I am enormously proud of everyone who helped deliver this remarkable piece of aviation engineering both on budget and on schedule, ready to commence operation at a vital time for aviation and for Ireland.”

While daa chairman, Basil Geoghegan, stated: “The North Runway further strengthens international connectivity for Ireland at Dublin Airport and will be a major driver for economic growth. It underpins our position as a leading European airport and a key gateway to North America.

“The successful delivery of this project would not have been possible but for the planning and land use foresight of the early operators of Dublin Airport who envisaged this vital national infrastructure as far back as the 1960s. Following the COVID pandemic, daa has a renewed ambition for Dublin Airport and its users.

“We are steadfast in our ambition to grow Dublin Airport sustainably and to be a standard bearer for quality service.

“Following on from the North Runway development, we will progress at pace our planned capital investment programme in a refurbished terminal, new piers, gates, stands and transfer facilities that will ensure a compelling service and lasting legacy for future generations of air travellers in and out of Ireland.”

The North Runway was designed to be fully compliant with European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards to ensure Dublin Airport can operate as a Category IIIB runway, capable of servicing larger, typically long-haul aircraft, up to and including Code F types (wingspans 65m to 80m) including Boeing 747-8 and Airbus A 380-800 aircraft.

• Opening day images courtesy of daa/Conor McCabe Photography.