New Noise Action Plan shows night-time noise exposure still a concern at Dublin Airport

The Noise Action Plan for Dublin Airport 2024-2028, which has been published by Fingal County Council, highlights the problematic aspects of aircraft noise exposure at the airport as well identifying areas for improvement.

The Plan states that while Dublin Airport is on track to achieve the medium to long term objectives of the Noise Abatement Objective (NAO) set by the Aircraft Noise Competent Authority (ANCA), night-time noise exposure remains a concern with the number of people exposed to levels above 55 dB Lnight being higher in 2023 than in 2019.  These issues will require assessment in accordance with the Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Act 2019 and this process is underway.

The NAO requires that the harmful effects of aircraft noise be reduced in the medium to long-term compared to the noise situation at Dublin Airport in 2019. It also requires, as a priority, that the number of people exposed to levels above 65 dB Lden and 55 dB Lnight do not exceed the number exposed in 2019.

The Noise Action Plan also includes an overview of the aircraft noise situation in the communities around Dublin Airport, highlighting areas for improvement and potential future developments at the airport that may affect future noise levels, such as changes to noise management measures and infrastructure upgrades. It emphasises the importance of public consultation and stakeholder engagement in developing and implementing noise management measures at the airport.

The Noise Action Plan calls on daa, the operator of Dublin Airport, to implement all 17 noise mitigation measures currently in place at Dublin Airport.

The 2024-2028 Noise Action Plan is the second dedicated noise action plan prepared for Dublin Airport and is based on the results of the strategic noise exposure maps for the relevant review year of 2021, as required by legislation. However, due to the impact of travel restrictions associated with the global COVID-19 pandemic and operational changes at the airport, the results of the 2021 strategic noise maps are not considered representative of the current noise climate at Dublin Airport. For this reason, the Noise Action Plan has been supplemented with noise exposure data for the calendar year of 2023, which better reflects the post COVID-19 noise climate and the airport operating in a three-runway format.

Fingal County Council received 119 submissions on the draft Dublin Airport Noise Action Plan 2024-2028 during a six-week period of public consultation in September and October.

See Noise Action Plan 2024-2028 for Dublin Airport to view  the Noise Action Plan and supporting documentation.

The regulatory framework for a noise action plan is established by the European Communities (Environmental Noise) Regulations 2018 (the Regulations) which transposes European Directive 2002/49/EC (commonly referred to as the ‘Environmental Noise Directive’) into Irish law. The regulations require strategic noise maps and an associated action plan to be produced every five years for major airports (defined as having more than 50,000 aircraft movements a year).

Under the Regulations, the airport authority for Dublin Airport (daa) is responsible for preparing strategic noise maps and are defined as the Noise Mapping Body with Fingal County Council responsible for the preparation and revision of the Dublin Airport Noise Action Plan in the role of the Action Planning Authority.

The management of aircraft noise at Dublin Airport is subject to a regulatory framework of controls which are established at international, European, national and local level. At international level, the main controls are described as part of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAOs) ‘Balanced Approach’ to aircraft noise. Regulation (EU) No. 598/2014 requires that ‘major airports’ within the European Union follow the Balanced Approach where a noise problem has been identified. This regulation has been given further effect in Ireland and for Dublin Airport through the Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Act 2019.