Dublin airport is due to open its long-awaited second runway for commercial flights on Wednesday (24 August).
The €320 million project has seen the building of the new 3.1-kilometre north runway, which will allow Ireland’s hub airport to expand following the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Provision for a parallel runway system has featured in Dublin airport’s plans since the 1960s, and those plans have now come to fruition with the successful delivery of the largest infrastructure project in the country,” said the airport’s operator DAA in a statement.
“North runway will help provide the operational flexibility required by Dublin airport to enable the regrowth and further development of international connectivity.”
The new runway, located 1.7 kilometres north of the existing main runway, will also be able to cater for larger long-haul aircraft, including the Airbus A380 superjumbo and the Boeing 747-8.
DAA has said that the new runway would create 31,200 jobs and bring in an extra €2.2 billion in revenue over the next 21 years. The project initially gained planning permission in 2007 and has been constructed in two phases from 2016.
The runway will initially operate between 9am and 1pm before its hours are extended to 7am-1pm and then 7am-6pm.