Willie Walsh the CEO of IATA has intervened in the controversy over the flight paths used by Dublin airport’s new north runway.
Speaking to Kieran Dineen of RTE Prime Time, Mr Walsh said: “my understanding is that the noise uh path that had been identified was actually then different when it went into operation and I I think that clearly is something that should have been avoided, trying to convince people that they wouldn’t be impacted only to find out that they would. I can understand how that led to a lot of anger.”
However, Mr Walsh said that further planning restrictions on Dublin airport activities should be avoided. “It would certainly reduce the efficiency of the airport which could drive additional airport charges and anything that increases the costs that the airport levy against airlines ultimately finds Its way through to the ticket prices that passengers pay.”
In the same programme Kenny Jacobs of DAA told Miriam O’Callaghan “there’s a 50pc reduction this year this summer in the number of households impacted by noise compared to 2019 so we’ve made very good progress. There is more that we need to do and we’ll continue to engage with the community.”
“Between August and February of this year there was a slight deviation in the flight path. That was a mistake that we made that we already apologise and we do apologise for that period of time. But the flight path today from the north Runway is the flight path that was intended 20 years ago when there were public consultations involving the public.”
Watch Kieran Dineen’s Prime Time report on Dublin airport fight path controversy
