Dublin Airport's €320m runway project lifts off as tenders sought by DAA

The DAA has initiated the first stage of the tender process, seeking expressions from companies or consortia interested in constructing the new 3.1km runway. The DAA then expects to narrow those expressions of interest to at least four applicants that will be invited to the second stage of the tender process.

The DAA announced earlier this year that it intended to proceed with the construction of a new runway, as passenger numbers at Dublin Airport continue to soar. The airport handled 25 million passengers last year and is on track to cater for more than 27 million this year. It's one of the fastest-growing airports in Europe.

The work currently being tendered for by the DAA includes the construction of the new runway itself, as well as associated taxiways, exits, aircraft aprons and stands, the demolition of an old unused runway, and the reconstruction of the existing cross-runway.

The DAA is also about to embark on a €60m project to overlay the existing main runway at Dublin Airport. That work is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2018.

The Irish Aviation Authority is also planning to build a new €50m control tower at Dublin Airport.

The DAA is hoping to have two conditions attached to the new runway amended.

One of the existing conditions is that the new runway would not be operational between 11pm and 7am. That would prevent it being used for one of the busiest times of the day.

A second condition means that the total number of night time flights at Dublin Airport cannot exceed 65 between 11pm and 7am once the new runway is built. But the airport already handles about 90 takeoffs and landings between those hours.

DAA chief executive Kevin Toland has told local community groups that the airport wants to secure unconditional night time use of both runways.

Local groups from the surrounding area, including the Portmarnock Community Association, have told the DAA that this would be unacceptable.