Dublin Airport
North Runway
Residents ask Fingal not to adopt Dublin Airport's new noise plan
North Runway Technical Group’s 146-page submission puts three questions ahead of everything the consultation asks, and answers each of them no
DUBLIN, 3 September 2026. Submissions to the Aircraft Noise Consultation on Dublin Airport closed at 5pm today. The North Runway Technical Group has asked Fingal County Council, acting as the Aircraft Noise Competent Authority, not to adopt the updated Noise Abatement Objective, the Draft Regulatory Decision or either Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report as they stand. Its submission runs to 146 pages with 99 pages of annexes, and was filed on 29 August 2026 under planning reference F23A/0781.
The primary objection does not engage with the four documents at all. Three questions are logically prior to everything the consultation puts out for comment, and each has to be answered before any finding of compliance, or of no significant effect, can be made. Is the deciding body the independent competent authority European law requires? Is there a lawful baseline to measure from? And may the departure routes that produce the noise problem be placed outside the scope of the decision? The submission answers each of them no, on grounds that are independent of one another and cumulative.
The group also answers the four documents on their own terms, but strictly in the alternative, under protest, and conceding nothing. Fingal must respond to both parts with reasons.
The underlying issue
Dublin Airport Authority is operating departure routes from the North Runway that do not comply with its 2007 planning permission. Aircraft are executing turns at the end of the runway at approximately 400 feet above ground level. We estimate the number of homes directly overflown at low altitude is 335% of that which was permitted (3,115 up from 934). A further 4,000 homes in Ashbourne are within 3km of the flight paths that were never consulted, assessed or permitted.
This site began as a way to explain how the technical aviation problems with the North Runway could be fixed — and those solutions remain available. However, it has become clear that the obstacle to resolution is not technical. Technically feasible solutions have been proposed since 2023 and are documented in detail on this site and in our YouTube video.
The core issue is one of governance and accountability. The solutions exist. What is needed is the willingness to implement them.
How to fix the problem
After 20 years of design, development, getting planning permission and building the runway, at the last minute DAA changed the departure track so 100% of departures fly over where 30,000 people live while climbing with full power and maximum noise. None of those people were involved in the planning process because the airplanes were never supposed to go there. DAA calls this people being “unexpectedly overflown”. They said “Ooops, sorry” and continue breaking the law with every single airplane that takes off from the North Runway.
There are 2 changes that DAA can make to the Runway 28R and 28L tracks that will fix the problem and result in the airport having capacity to increase the number of flights it can handle. This also has the benefit of complying with the existing planning permission. Scroll down for the non-technical explanation or read about it here …
Our Proposal in short
- Missed approach for 28L: straight ahead to DAP then turn 30 degrees left. Continuous climb to 4000ft then route east and back around – basically a variation on the 10L missed approach.
- Departures from 28R climb straight ahead 1.9 nautical miles, turn 10 degrees right and climb for 8 nautical miles before any turns.
By it’s nature the proposal includes plenty of aviation jargon. If you’re not an aviation nerd you may not recognize all the terminology or understand some of how runways work. Please have a look in the Aviation Technical section of Runway Information
What's the deal with the North Runway?
Aircraft Noise
"Aircraft are noisy ... you should expect noise if you live near the airport!" So how much is OK and what does "near the airport" mean to you?
Motorway in the Sky
"It's all very complicated" they say, well not really. Departure tracks are basically motorways in the sky: the big difference is you can change them without concrete and digging equipment ...
Planning Permission
It's all very boring until someone wants to build a pig farm next to your house. What's the deal with the planning permission for the North Runway?
QUESTIONS?
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