- Dublin Airport is developing a digital twin of its campus powered by ArcGIS technology
- The system provides a single view of infrastructure ranging from water pipelines to airfield ground lights
- The digital model supports a €5 to €6bn capital investment programme starting in January 2027
- The airport targets 40m passengers a year, up from its current 32m cap
- The digital twin helps daa slash carbon emissions by 51pc by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050
Dublin Airport is developing a digital twin of its campus powered by ArcGIS technology. The virtual model aims to optimise passenger flow, identify pinch points and reduce waiting times as the airport expands. The system provides a single view of infrastructure ranging from water pipelines to airfield ground lights and supports projects including the new runway, terminal extensions, extra car-parking capacity and a future Metro transport hub. Dublin Airport is among the first in the world to adopt the approach after similar work in San Francisco and Hong Kong. Officials stated the tool helps plan and prioritise investment while the airport works towards a long-term target of 40m passengers a year. Damien Garry of daa stated the technology allows teams to work from the same information and manage infrastructure more efficiently.
Dublin Airport created a comprehensive digital twin of its entire campus to support its €5 to €6bn capital investment programme. Developed in partnership with Esri Ireland using their ArcGIS platform, the digital model serves as a single database for the airport’s 9.25 square kilometre infrastructure. This virtual ecosystem is designed to help the airport operator, daa, scale sustainably to handle 40m passengers annually, up from its current 32m cap. The digital twin combines CAD, BIM and real-time sensor data to streamline daily operations and future planning. An interactive dashboard maps out passenger flows to pinpoint bottlenecks and optimise transit times through terminals. Staff gain unified visibility over vast infrastructure networks, including 307 kilometres of water pipelines and more than 8,500 airfield lights. The system centralises information previously siloed across separate platforms, managing critical utilities like drainage networks, hydrant mapping and regulatory reporting for the Irish Aviation Authority.
Scheduled to anchor a capital investment programme starting in January 2027, the digital model helps plan and build critical infrastructure safely and sustainably. Key expansion projects managed under this digital framework include designing a new northern apron, expanding the South Apron hub to accommodate larger aircraft and constructing a vehicle underpass to reduce cross-apron traffic. Terminal extensions include extending Pier 1 and Pier 5, alongside adding two floors to the Terminal 2 car park. Future connectivity includes integrating infrastructure to support a future metro link via a new ground transportation hub. The digital twin acts as a core tracking mechanism to help daa slash carbon emissions by 51pc by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The system handles environmental demands by simulating and reviewing energy monitoring, noise mapping and airfield water management.
