Dublin airport has confirmed plans to build a second runway by 2020.
The 3,100 metre runway will be built 1.6km north of the existing main runway at a cost of €320 million.
Dublin airport received planning permission in August 2007, but plans were put on hold due to the economic downturn and fall in passenger numbers.
It said the recovery in passenger numbers, particularly in the past two years, has been “significant”.
“Last year was the busiest year ever in the airport’s history with a record 25 million passengers travelling in 2015. Passenger numbers continue to grow strongly in 2016 with double digit growth recorded in the first two months of this year,” said Dublin airport CEO Kevin Toland.
Dublin airport said the rapid recovery in passenger numbers is due to a combination of almost 50 new routes and services, additional capacity increases on a number of existing routes, and nine new airlines.
Total long-haul connectivity has grown by more than 65 per cent since terminal 2 opened, while short-haul connectivity has increased by 16 per cent.
The airport added that the new north runway development has the potential to open up connectivity to a range of long-haul destinations, particularly in fast growing economies in Asia, Africa and South America.
It also claims a new runway could support a further 31,000 new jobs over the next two decades, contributing €2.2 billion to GDP.
Enabling works are due to commence later this year with construction of the north runway scheduled to start in 2017.
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