Dublin Airport has been forced to change flight paths for planes on their new North Runway, according to the Irish Times.
It comes as complaints had increased in recent weeks from locals concerned about engine noises.
Residents living close to Dublin Airport had become increasingly vocal in recent weeks and months since the opening of the North Runway.
They claimed planes were flying low over towns and villages and not sticking to flight paths as previously agreed.
@DublinAirport have released an update concerning the revised SIDs for Runway 28R/10L. Following extensive review and regulatory processes, the revised SIDs are expected to become operational in February with the aim of aligning them closer to the original plans laid out. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/Q3jJfzDJfU
— ✈️ Routes Ireland (@RoutesIreland) January 12, 2023
The DAA, in a statement to the Irish Times, apologised for the noise and admitted that some areas were 'overflown'.
The Airport group said new routes would be 'more closely' alligned with flight paths agreed before the runway opened.
Despite the changes, it's expected consultation will continue between the DAA and residents, as the North Runway route changes will come into effect on February 23rd.
The DAA has provided a statement to 98FM on the change:
An issue regarding departure flightpaths was identified which resulted in some local communities being unexpectedly overflown, for which daa sincerely apologises.
DAA immediately started a review with the aim of satisfactorily resolving the issue as soon as possible. It is important to note that this issue did not have any impact on the safety of aircraft. The review process involved engagement and coordination with a number of the relevant stakeholders and it identified that some of the Instrument Flight Procedures (IFPs*) were not aligned to modelling assumptions included in daa’s planning submissions.
The outcome of the review, in consultation with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), proposed updates to the affected IFP, specifically the current Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs**) which will result in flightpaths aligning more closely with the information previously communicated by daa.
The revised SIDs were required to go through regulatory review and consent processes before they could be implemented. They have now been approved and will become operational on February 23, 2023, in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Aeronautical Information Publication cycle. In the interim weeks, the continued use of the current SIDs is necessary, but there will continue to be no departures off North Runway before 0900 during that period.
