Runways At Dublin Airport: How Many Take-Off Strips?

Dublin Airport has three runways: 10R/28L (South Runway), 10L/28R (North Runway), and 16/34 (Crosswind Runway). The airport's newest runway, North Runway, opened on 24 August 2022. The South Runway is operational 24 hours a day, while the North Runway is operational from 7 am to 11 pm. The Crosswind Runway is used only occasionally for essential safety reasons.

Dublin Airport's runways: 10R/28L, 10L/28R, and 16/34

Dublin Airport operates three runways: 10R/28L (South Runway), 10L/28R (North Runway), and 16/34 (Crosswind Runway). The South and North runways are parallel runways, while the Crosswind Runway is reserved for specific wind conditions or other factors impacting safe operations.

The South Runway (10R/28L) is the main runway, which opened on 21 June 1989, and is used for 95% of all landings and take-offs. The North Runway (10L/28R) opened more recently, on 24 August 2022, and is the airport's third runway. The Crosswind Runway (16/34) was built originally as a grass strip and is used for about 5% of landings and take-offs. It is brought into operation when essential maintenance is taking place on the main runway or in certain weather conditions.

The use of these runways is determined by planning conditions, regulations, operational constraints, weather conditions, and essential maintenance requirements. The primary factor influencing the direction of aircraft take-offs and landings is the wind. In Ireland, the prevailing wind blows from the west, so about 70% of the time, planes approach Dublin Airport over the Irish Sea and take off towards the west. When the wind shifts and blows from the east, the approach and departure directions reverse.

The new North Runway (10L/28R) is 3,110 metres long and opened 15 years after its original planning permission was approved. It is part of Dublin Airport's development plans, which have included a parallel runway system since the late 1960s. The North Runway allows the airport to accommodate 30 million passengers annually.

The airport's runways are named based on their direction

Dublin Airport has three runways: 10R/28L (South Runway), 10L/28R (North Runway), and 16/34 (Crosswind Runway). The runways are named based on their direction, which is also known as the magnetic bearing. There are 360 degrees on a compass, and runway numbers go from 1-36 as they are rounded to the nearest 10 degrees, with the last digit dropped.

The two ends of the same runway have different numbers to reflect the two separate approaches for aircraft. The two numbers are always 18 apart to reflect 180 degrees. For example, the main runway, Runway 10/28, has two numbers because it can be approached from two directions. Runway names occasionally change to reflect movements in the magnetic bearing. For instance, Dublin’s main runway 10/28 was referred to as 11/29 in the original 1960s plans for the parallel runway system.

Dublin Airport's runways are used according to specific criteria, including planning conditions, regulations, operational constraints, weather conditions, and essential maintenance requirements. The primary factor determining the direction of aircraft take-offs and landings is the wind. Aircraft take off and land into the wind to ensure maximum lift and control during critical phases of flight.

In Ireland, the prevailing wind blows from the west, so about 70% of the time, planes approach Dublin Airport from over the Irish Sea and take off towards the west. When the wind shifts and blows from the east, the approach and departure directions reverse. In such cases, planes land from the west and take off towards the east.

The Crosswind Runway (16/34) is used occasionally for essential safety reasons when the main runways cannot be used due to specific wind conditions or other factors impacting safe operations.

The primary factor determining the direction of aircraft take-offs and landings is the wind

Dublin Airport has three runways: 10R/28L (South Runway), 10L/28R (North Runway), and 16/34 (Crosswind Runway). The primary factor determining the direction of aircraft take-offs and landings is the wind. Taking off and landing into the wind ensures maximum lift and control during these critical phases of flight.

In Ireland, the prevailing wind blows from the west. As a result, planes approach Dublin Airport over the Irish Sea and take off towards the west about 70% of the time. This helps aircraft achieve better performance and safety. When the wind shifts and blows from the east, planes land from the west and take off towards the east.

The North Runway (10L/28R) opened on August 24, 2022, becoming the airport's third runway. It is 3,110 metres long and is used for 95% of all landings and take-offs. The South Runway (10R/28L) is the main runway and is used for the remaining 5% of operations. It opened in 1989 and has facilitated more than five million aircraft landings and take-offs.

The Crosswind Runway (16/34) is only used occasionally for essential safety reasons when the main runways cannot be used due to specific wind conditions or other factors impacting safe operations. It was originally built as a grass strip in the 1930s and is 2,072 metres long.

The airport's runways are used based on planning conditions, regulations, operational constraints, weather conditions, and essential maintenance requirements

Dublin Airport operates three runways: 10R/28L (South Runway), 10L/28R (North Runway), and 16/34 (Crosswind Runway). The use of these runways is determined by planning conditions, regulations, operational constraints, weather conditions, and essential maintenance requirements.

Planning Conditions

The 2007 North Runway planning permission conditions outline the criteria for determining which runway is used for aircraft departures and arrivals. This operational mode, referred to as Option 7B, aims to reduce aircraft noise impact on local communities. It includes the preferred use of the parallel runways (10R/28L and 10L/28R) over the Crosswind Runway (16/34).

Regulations

Dublin Airport conducts essential maintenance to meet EU Regulation 139/2014 and follows guidance from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The airport also conducts mandatory biannual flight checks for its Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) to ensure compliance with European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) regulations, as mandated by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).

Operational Constraints

The primary factor determining the direction of aircraft take-offs and landings is the wind. Aircraft take off and land into the wind to ensure maximum lift and control during critical phases of flight. In Ireland, the prevailing wind blows from the west, so planes typically approach Dublin Airport from the Irish Sea and take off towards the west. When the wind shifts and blows from the east, the approach and departure directions reverse.

Weather Conditions

The decision on which runway to use at any given time is determined by Air Traffic Control and is based on criteria such as weather conditions. The Crosswind Runway (16/34) is used only occasionally for essential safety reasons when the main runways cannot be used due to specific wind conditions or other factors impacting safe operations.

Essential Maintenance Requirements

Runway maintenance is critical for the safe operation of Dublin Airport. Maintenance activities include assessment and replacement of visual aids and lighting systems, pavement strength and friction assessments, rubber removal, repainting of runway markings, and grass cutting around critical areas. Scheduled maintenance typically takes place at night when there is a low level of flight activity and is subject to weather conditions. Temporary closures of runways may be necessary to facilitate essential maintenance.

The airport's runways were constructed between 1937 and 1948

Dublin Airport, located in Collinstown, 7 km north of Dublin, began as a wartime aerodrome during World War I. In 1936, the Irish Free State established a new airline, Aer Lingus, which initially operated from Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel. However, it was decided that a civil airport should replace Baldonnel as Dublin's airport, and the Collinstown site was chosen.

Work on the new airport commenced in 1937, with the inaugural flight from Dublin taking off on January 19, 1940, bound for Liverpool. By the end of 1939, a grass airfield surface, internal roads, car parks, and electrical power and lighting had been set up. During this early phase, the airport's runways were grass strips.

In August 1938, construction began on the airport's first terminal building, designed by architect Desmond FitzGerald. The terminal opened in early 1941, influenced by the design of luxury ocean liners of the time. Due to World War II, services at the airport were restricted until late 1945.

In 1947, KLM started the first European flights to Dublin, operating a service to Amsterdam. In 1948, three new concrete runways were completed, marking a significant upgrade to the airport's infrastructure. By 1950, just ten years after its first flight, the airport had welcomed a total of 920,000 passengers.

Over the following decades, Dublin Airport continued to expand and enhance its facilities. The 1950s saw uninterrupted traffic growth, leading to runway extensions and terminal enhancements. New airlines began serving the airport, and in 1958, Aer Lingus introduced a new transatlantic service via Shannon Airport.

Today, Dublin Airport is the busiest airport in Ireland, serving over 34.6 million passengers in 2024 and ranking as the 13th busiest airport in Europe. It operates three runways: 10R/28L (South Runway), 10L/28R (North Runway), and 16/34 (Crosswind Runway). The airport continues to be a vital hub for aviation in Ireland and beyond.

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