ANCA encourages public to have their say on application to increase passenger capacity at Dublin Airport

The Aircraft Noise Competent Authority (ANCA) is encouraging the public to make submissions and observations on a planning application that would see an increase in passenger capacity at Dublin Airport. 

The draft decision by ANCA on the application proposes that home insulation measures should be made available allowing more homes to become eligible to access these measures, which are aimed at reducing the impact of aircraft noise. 

The airport authority for Dublin Airport (daa) has submitted a planning application (F23A/0781) to the planning authority of Fingal County Council that seeks permission for development at the airport that includes an increase in the permitted passenger capacity at the airport from 32 to 40 million passengers per year and the provision of airport infrastructure. 

ANCA has carried out an assessment of the possible aircraft noise implications of this application and has identified measures to reduce the noise impact of this development within surrounding homes.

As part of the assessment, ANCA also amended the noise abatement objective for the airport (NAO) and carried out environmental assessments of the proposed measures.

The amended objective seeks to further reduce the number of people affected by annoyance and sleep disturbance from aircraft noise.  

The expansion of home sound insulation measures to allow more homes to be eligible, is part of the proposed measures.

The aim of these measures is to reduce noise inside eligible homes by five decibels.  

A public consultation is currently underway and ANCA invites submissions and observations on the draft measures, amended NAO, and environmental assessments until 03 September 2026.? 

Director of Services at ANCA, Ethna Felten says: “I would encourage anyone with an interest in Dublin Airport to read our draft decision and to submit their opinion.

“This consultation is an important part of the process because it allows us to hear directly from the public and it gives us different perspectives to consider.

Dublin Airport is very important to us all, both socially and economically, but its existence presents difficulties for the neighbouring communities, due to the level and the type of noise that’s generated. 

So,it is important to look at what our draft decision proposes and for people to have their say before the consultation closes on September 3rd”.

Submissions and observations may be made: 

Following the consultation period, ANCA will review all submissions and observations before finalising its Regulatory Decision and associated documentation. 

A video answering the most common queries on this consultation can be found here.