ICAO Code | EIDW/DUB |
Last Validated | May 2011 |
City | Dublin |
Position | 53°25'17"N 006°16'12"W |
Runway(s) | 10/28, 16/34 |
Elevation | 242 ft |
The Republic of Ireland's biggest airport lies just north of its capital and serves as a major gateway to the country. All five Irish airline companies have their base here. The aiport is served mostly by airlines from western Europe and North America, with Etihad being the exception. Two of the home carriers operate many flights on behalf of others: CityJet for Air France and Air Contractors for DHL. Parts of both fleets wear the livery of those companies. Air Contractors' sole Lockheed Hercules operates for OSRL (Oil Spill Response Limited). Not mentioned on the right of this page are CityJet's Fokker 50s, that do not normally fly to or from Dublin.
As for the flying operations, one can expect rather constant runway use. Due to the vicinity of the sea and its influence on the wind, a single change of runway direction throughout the day is common. From morning until noon, and from late afternoon until the evening (roughly 5pm - 9pm) are the hours with the most appealing traffic.
Unlike many other European airports, Dublin has some room to expand. Major changes took place in 2008, when the large West Apron and southernmost terminal were constructed. At the same time, runway 11/29 (the northern one) was closed. While traces of even earlier runway patterns are still obvious, the airport is left with two active runways, of which the 2600m long 10/28 is the preferent one. The view over the field is generally quite good, thanks to the flat terrain. The terminal side obviously has many buildings blocking your line of sight.
By car, the aiport is easily reached via one of the adjacent motorways. There is no rail connection but a wide variety of buses and coaches provide transport to and from the field. The airport website has more information on these. The advantage of flying in or out as a passenger is the possible use of spot 10 of this guide.
When runway 16 is in use, it offers excellent photo opportunities. Especially so in the afternoon, as shown by this view from spot 6. (Raymond Onderwater)
Runway 10/28 is the more common one. This photo from spot 2 shows Dornier G-BWIR, now flying for Dublin resident Aer Arann. (Raymond Onderwater)
121.800 | Ground |
118.600 | Tower |
121.100 | Approach |
126.250 / 129.175 | Radar |
118.500 | Flight Information Service |
124.525 | ATIS |
Aer Arann | ATR42/72 |
Aer Lingus | A320/321 A330 |
Air Contractors | A300 ATR42/72 L-100 |
CityJet | BAe146-RJ85 |
Premier Helicopters | A109E AS350B |
Ryanair | B737 |
Starair | Bell 430 CL-604 |
Dublin Airport | Official website - Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath |
Dublin Airport Movements | Daily log of visiting aircraft at Dublin. |
Irish Air Corps |
Dublin |
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