Locals have welcomed the noise regulator’s move to assess Dublin Airport’s latest bid to lift a controversial 32 million a-year passenger limit.
The Airport Noise Competent Authority (Anca) this week cautioned that an application by the gateway’s operator, State company DAA, to increase the cap to 36 million could require an assessment and result in possible flight restrictions.
St Margaret’s the Ward Residents’ Group, which represents some of the airport’s neighbours, welcomed the authority’s statement on Friday.
Liam O’Grádaigh, the group’s spokesman, pointed out that the noise regulator had acted “very responsibly”.
He added that the St Margaret’s group was very surprised that DAA believed it could move the application without its noise impact being assessed first.
DAA has yet to submit data to the Anca for another application seeking permission to expand Dublin Airport’s facilities that includes a request to increase the passenger limit to 40 million, Mr O’Grádaigh added.
However, DAA has said it does not believe that it should submit this data to the noise regulator until An Bord Pleanála has finally decided on an appeal against a proposed noise quota system at the airport.
The planning appeals board issued a draft decision on that in September 2024 and is due to make its final ruling this year.
Earlier this week, DAA argued that Anca’s proposed assessment of its application to increase the passenger cap to 36 million would could further delay efforts to end the cap, which its industry deems a bar to growth.
The airports company said that the authority’s move would “add several months” to the wait for a decision on its latest planning application, dashing hopes that this could end the row over the cap within weeks.
Mr O’Grádaigh maintained that increased use of the airport, particularly at night, massively disrupted the lives of those living nearby.
“We need sustainable operations at the airport and not the ongoing expansion of passenger numbers,” he said.
