Proposed limits on night flights at Dublin Airport threaten to ground the transport of €19 billion worth of goods in and out of the country, an industry group has warned.
An Bord Pleanála recently issued a draft decision limiting night flights at the country’s biggest airport to 13,000 a year, two-thirds less than the 36,000 total reached in 2023.
The move prompted warnings from State airports company DAA, and airlines, that it would seriously hinder operations at Dublin.
Industry body Freight Transport Ireland (FTA) warned that the proposal threatened to grind the economy to a halt if planners decide to impose the condition following consultations.
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Night-time flights carry about €19 billion worth of goods in and out of the State every year, according to FTA chief executive Aidan Flynn.
A report commissioned by the association shows this includes 12 per cent of imports and 6 per cent of exports.
Mr Flynn argued that as freight and night flights happen “behind the scenes and largely out of sight” many do not appreciate the role they play in keeping the State supplied.
The report, The Economic Impact of Cargo Night Flying at Dublin Airport, by York Aviation, calculates that night flying adds about €1.1 billion to Irish wealth and supports 15,000 jobs in air cargo and Dublin Airport.
Goods transported by air include pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, perishable products and manufacturing components, as well as time-sensitive legal and commercial documents, the FTA says.
An Bord Pleanála’s draft ruling related to an appeal by locals against a decision by Fingal County Council planners to replace a limit on night flights with a noise abatement and quota system.
While the board opted for the quota approach, it imposed the 13,000-a-year limit, or 36 a night, on arriving and departing flights between 11pm and 7am.
An Bord Pleanála sought responses from interested parties to the draft ruling, which it issued after considering the matter for a long period. The deadline for submissions is late next month.
Its published the decision in September as a separate, more public row over a 32-million-a-year limit on passenger numbers at Dublin Airport heightened in the wake of a regulators’ ruling capping landing and take-off slots at the hub next summer.
Aviation sources argue that the night flights ruling could be more damaging than the cap, should planners impose it, as it would disrupt everything from cargo transport to passenger flights at key early-morning times.
Mr Flynn warned that the damage to cargo traffic would be felt throughout the private and public sectors. “Without the overnight deliveries made by air, shops and offices, factories and hospitals will be left without the critical supplies that they and their customers need every day,” he predicted.
Many businesses rely on goods delivered by air arriving at the start of their working day, he noted.
“After two years of debate to reach this point, it is particularly disappointing that the message has failed to get through to policy decision-makers that without night flights for air cargo Ireland’s economy is stymied,” Mr Flynn said.
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