Dublin Airport North Runway opens: part one – route map skewed towards west amid row over charges

It was 15 years ago that a second runway was approved for Ireland's Dublin Airport, the main gateway into and out the country and hub for trans Atlantic travel; but it only opened at the end of Aug-2022. The runway will help the local economy by facilitating tourism, but its main job is to attract long haul airlines, mainly on non-trans Atlantic routes, both passenger and freight.

Paying for it will mean airline charges increasing, but not until 2026. Before then charges are to be capped, and will only increase contingent on operator, daa, providing more modern infrastructure.

It seems that a third terminal, an announcement on which was delayed by an election and then the COVID-19 pandemic, may be needed sooner than was expected. Meanwhile, a light rail project running north-south through Dublin, with an airport station, has been approved.

Collectively, these projects should help Dublin retain its cachet as a principal west European gateway, punching well above the weight of the small nation it represents.

This is part one of a two-part report.