Dublin Airport’s North Runway Opens

Dublin Airport has a brand new runway! Sláinte!

It opened on August 24, 2022, only 15 years after its original planning permission was approved. It’s actually the airport’s third runway because everyone seems to oddly forget about 16/34 (which is a none too shabby 2072m with an ILS and RNP approach, so perfectly useable!)

Anyway, 10L/28R has opened and is ready for use. There are a load of new charts effective from August 19 for you to check out if heading in.

What’s it got?

It’s got:

  • 10,200’ (3109m) x 45m of tarmac.
  • A CATII/III ILS onto 10L (but no published approach to 28R).
  • The ILS is very standard. 3000’ platform altitude and 3° glideslope.
  • There are restricted areas to the south so the missed approach is to the north. Keep an eye on this if there are any storms passing through.
  • A new apron area (5H) which is still under construction, so watch out if you’re taxying around the end of 10L (threefold of 28R). The second phase starts from September 8 so check the chart validity carefully.

All available in the AIP.

You can find the Irish AIP here if you need it.

Anything else to know about the airport?

  • They favour the 28s, and you can expect these in use until the tailwind reaches 10 knots.
  • Read the airport briefing because there are a bunch of taxiways you mustn’t stop on when vacating certain runways, because they won’t actually get you clear of the runway.
  • They have NABT for certain categories of aircraft.
  • Sometimes they talk fast and give you a thousand taxi clearances in one go so be ready to copy the clearance down!
  • The aprons get congested. Probably because some clever person built loads of nice little cul-de-sacs for the airplanes to park in, not remembering airplanes can’t do three point turns to get out again.

Other than that it is a nice, easy airport to operate into.

And also…

EIDW/Dublin does have a pre-clearance service for the US, but it’s only available to scheduled airline traffic. If you want to get this service for your private/charter flight, you’ll have to go to EINN/Shannon instead.

Here’s some more info on all that US pre-clearance stuff.

A little bit of history.

If you want the boring historical facts then go and look at Wikipedia. This is some of the lessor known stuff.

Dublin actually means Black Pool, but locals (well, folk who speak Irish) know it as Baile Átha Cliath.

Collinstown Aerodrome (as Dublin airport was originally known) was the spot where the most successful raid against the British took place, in 1919, during the war of Independence. 25 or so raiders broke in, poisoned the guard dogs (well, actually they did that in the afternoon and just timed it well), then silently captured any human sentries and managed to nab a whole load of ammunitions and weapons before escaping. They also amusingly left the Brits unable to give chase because they’d sledgehammered all their cars in the garage.

The original

Nowadays, Dublin Airport seems to be a place where people leave stuff, rather than raid stuff from it. It has a history of random items abandoned there by passengers including an urn of ashes, a 42” television, some large paintings, 7 grandmothers (on separate occasions) and a toilet. One of those is not true. I’ll let you guess which.


Midweek Briefing 06JUL: Hong Kong capacity problems, Iceland: The fun continues

Hong Kong capacity problems 06JUL During this year, the Hong Kong CAA has issued a couple of warnings to operators to stick carefully to their allocated slots, but it’s not making much of a difference to operations there. Read the article.

Iceland: The fun continues 06JUL Last week there were some really positive indications that the ATC strike in Iceland was coming to an end, but it’s now worse than ever, with Westbound, Eastbound, and landing traffic all affected. Read the article.


HECC/Cairo FIR A restriction exists for traffic to and from the Amman FIR, so if overflying Jordan and then Egypt, or vice versa, you can only use the waypoint METSA.

OMAE/Emirates FIR has some updated peak times. Departures need a slot between 0630-0730Z and 1700-0000Z. Arrivals will be spaced 5 mins apart during these times also, as will aircraft entering the OMAE FIR from nearby airports like Muscat, Isa, and Baghdad.

EIDW/Dublin Runway 10/28 is closed overnight until 09JUL.

OERK/Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will be hosting the ‘Global Ministerial Aviation Summit’ 29AUG-31AUG. 55 different ministers from various countries are expected to be in attendance. Be aware of potential restrictions leading up to and after the event.

CYFB/Iqaluit Another NAT alternate favourite, CYFB has some runway closures throughout July.

EGCC/Manchester is doing some work on 05L/23R overnight until 08JUL and has advised operators to carry some extra gas due possibility of holding.

LOWW/Vienna has published a helpful list of rush hour periods – worth avoiding these times as holding is common at VIE. The times are: 0530-0750, 0920-1030, 1140-1240, 1340-1500, 1615-1800, and 1840-1940Z.

BIZZ/Iceland Despite optimistic reports of a resolution to the ATC dispute in Iceland last week, the situation remains unresolved. Last night BIRD Oceanic was closed to most Eastbound traffic once again, as was BIKF. A new addition to restrictions is a closure to many Westbound flights on Wednesday 06JUL – “DUE TO STAFF SHORTAGE IN REYKJAVIK OACC WESTBOUND TFC PLANNING TO ENTER BIRD FROM ENSV VIA GUNPA,VALDI, IPTON, INGAL, ISVIG AND EGPX VIA LIRKI, GONUT, OLKER, MATIK AND RATSU AND THEN PROCEEDING INTO EGGX OR CZQX SHALL REMAIN SOUTH OF BIRD CTA” Read the article.

EDYY/Maastricht ATC have requested crews operating through the Maastricht UIR to log on to CPDLC EDYY, if you have datalink. While voice remains the primary comms method, you might get an uplink message if the frequency is busy – it’s not a test, you should confirm – most of these uplinks are likely to be frequency changes.

EPZZ/Poland has advised operators to check carefully whether permission is required in advance of operations at airports other than EPWW/Warsaw. Many countries including Poland have reinstated Border Controls within the Schengen zone. Best advice is to treat each country as having full Border Controls for the moment (so think Passport, GenDec, etc.)

SPIM/Lima FIR (Note that the airport is now SPJC, distinct from the FIR code) is shutting down airway UG427 after 21JUL.

SUEO/Montevideo ACC (Uruguay) has some comms issues in it’s airspace, and has advised of some extreme spacing between aircraft irrespective of FL – 40nm. For now, this ends today (06JUL) but may happen again.

WSZZ/Singapore Qualifying citizens of Singapore are now eligible to apply for US Global Entry membership – and benefit from expedited entry to the United States at designated airports. Similarly, qualified U.S. citizens are eligible for enrolment in Singapore’s enhanced-Immigration Automated Clearance System (eIACS).

ZMUB/Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia is downgraded to RFF Cat 7 until 10JUL. Also, from 12-16JUL, you can’t file this as an alternate which may limit your options somewhat.

LFPG/Paris due to maintenance on the ILS for Runway 08L/26R from 18JUL to 02OCT. The only approaches that will be available will be RNAV based procedures (LNAV/VNAV, LPV, LNAV) and VOR/DME.

GQNN/Nouakchott, Mauritania has moved to a new international airport this June. Located approximately 10nm north of the city, it has an annual passenger capacity of 2 million. Infrastructure from the capital’s old airport was transported to the new one.

SECU/Cuenca Following the landing incident on 28APR of an E190, all inbound flights will be reportedly be held if the runway is wet – until end of August.

LFMH/St Etiennee Fuel outage on 07JUL, 0800-1100 UTC.

Canada/Mexico From 01DEC2016, Mexican nationals will be able to travel to Canada without a visa for business and tourism for up to 90 days.

Turkey/Russia Russia has lifted the travel restrictions on tourists between the two countries. The ban was put in place following the downing of a Russian military aircraft last year.

Bangladesh Germany, Australia and the U.K. have banned direct cargo flights from Bangladesh due to security concerns.

Israel/China The Israeli parliament has ratified a multiple-entry visa agreement with China, under which Chinese business visitors and tourists can enter Israel multiple times with the same ten-year visa and vice versa.

EZZZ/Europe the European Union updated Air Safety list (aka the Airline Blacklist) on 17JUN, and lifted a ban on Zambian air carriers.

Uganda Introduction of ‘e-visa’ system. You must show a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate on arrival.

ZJSA/Sanya FIR, China has an ADS-B trial up and running on L642 and M771. Radar is still the primary separation tool, but ATC ask that you check your Flight ID matches your FPL.

View the full International Bulletin 06JUL2016


Midweek Briefing 22JUN: Iceland ATC strike – end in sight, Israel FPL changes

Iceland ATC strike – end in sight 22JUN Operators on both sides of the Atlantic have been frustrated over the last 6 weeks with continual sporadic ATC Industrial action. And end may be in sight, but in the meantime keep a close eye on BIRK, BIKF and BIRD Notams. Read the article.

FPL changes: Israel 22JUN Current Flight Planning procedures for flights across Europe from Israel will change in light of a new agreement signed between Israel and Eurocontrol. Read the article.


LFZZ/France ATC Strike Number 9 gets underway today until 24JUN at 0400Z, usual disruption and restrictions apply. Avoid France where possible. NOTAM F1171/16 refers.

EGGX/Shanwick is having an 80’s party on the 28th of June at 1600Z. For engineering work, all the new technology is being taken offline for three hours, so no CPDLC, ADS-C or OCL. Instead we have Voice Reports, HF, Manual Clearance Requests (123.95 or 127.65), and so on; just like the good old days. When you hit 30W log on to Gander manually.

UMZZ/Belarus The Minsk FIR has updated its table of cruising levels and altitudes below Transition; view the AIC.

Gambia The UK FCO issued updated travel advice for The Gambia : “Demonstrations took place in April and May 2016 in Banjul. Demonstrations could occur at any time in any part of the country prior to presidential elections planned for 01DEC. You should be vigilant, avoid all demonstrations”

LPZZ/Portugal is joining the International ATC Strike Club and will begin with industrial action, for two hours daily on: June 30th, and July 8th,15th, 22nd and 29th.

KCXO/Houston Regional will be opening a new customs facility mid July. KCXO serves the Metro-Houston area and is 46 miles outside of town. The new CBP facility adds more choice to international operators over the already saturated Houston area airports.

KZZZ/United States The U.S. Navy has scrubbed the planned military GPS interference testing across the U.S. Southwest that was supposed to happen this month.

LWSS/Skopje is implementing Free Route Airspace in the Skopje ACC above FL245, effective 23JUN. FRA is available H24 with DCT limit unlimited. The ATS network above FL245 is withdrawn. Additional info is available in the Republic of Macedonia AIP AMD 58/16. New RAD measures can be found in the increment file and will become part of Annex 4 on AIRAC 1608.

LWZZ/Macedonia Late on 20JUN, tens of thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in central Skopje, Macedonia’s capital, to conduct another demonstration. The protesters gathered outside the Special Prosecution building before then marching to the Ministry of Justice building, where they broke some of its windows and threw red paint at its exterior.

EZZZ/Scandinavia Another Free Route Airspace update is happening in the two Functional Airspace Blocks NEFAB and DK/SE FAB. NEFRA Phase 1 will be implemented as of AIRAC 1607 on 23JUN, to implement H24 cross border Free Route Airspace between DK-SE FAB and NEFAB, except Norway, above FL285. ATS routes will be kept. Norway plans to implement cross-border Free Route Airspace spring 2017.

CYZZ/Canada has introduced “No Drone Zones” around airports that includes fines for offenders caught operating drones in the restricted areas. They are also drafting new legislation to strengthen rules regarding drone operations.

LEMD/Madrid may have industrial action on 28JUN, the Apron controllers are making noises about a strike. Not confirmed.

WAZZ/Indonesia FIR Ujung Pandang FIR has a couple of radar outages from 19-27JUN. Reroutes or delays are not likely, but strong potential for lower than optimum Flight Levels.

HECC/Cairo FIR If for some reason you are operating flights to or from Libya, then A: You’re probably not reading this bulletin carefully enough, and B: Be aware that you are required to obtain PPR from  Egypt via AFTN to HECAYNYX, at least 48 hours before the flight, in order to overfly Cairo FIR.

EGAA/Belfast ILS 25 out of service along with other ongoing runway and taxiway closures until 11AUG16. Please check EGAA NOTAM’s for specific closures.

EGLF/Farnborough Temporary restricted airspace will be in effect for the annual Farnborough Airshow 16-17JUL. AIC M 033/2016.

France The French authorities have extended the document checks at their borders, these measures will apply to all airports in France and also to Basel airport. Especially during the period of the European Football Championships, passengers travelling to/ from French airports are asked to ensure they have a valid identity document (passport or identity card) with them whilst travelling. A drivers license is not an acceptable document.

VTBB/Bangkok FIR Monsoon season runs July-September. Big potential for holding and airport closures in the region, taking extra fuel is recommended.

OEZZ/Saudi Arabia FIR is introducing new Navigation Charges on 01JUL. All the maths is here.

LSZA/Lugano will close 10-19OCT due to heavy maintenance work on the main runway. No traffic will be able to operate. The airport operator has said 20OCT should be the reopening day but risk that this may be extended.

WMZZ/Malaysia Following a directive by the Malaysian Immigration Department, all foreign nationals travelling on all domestic flights will be required to produce passports upon passing through Immigration control, effective immediately.

Azerbaijan An online e-visa issuing system, called ASAN Visa, will be established that should streamline the visa application process. Eligible foreign nationals will be able to obtain supporting documents, submit their visa applications and receive an e-visa within three days of submission through the portal. The list of eligible nationals is expected to be available soon on the Foreign Ministry website.

EGPK/Prestwick has ongoing overnight closures due to ATC staffing problems, keep an eye on NOTAMs.

EIDW/Dublin will closed for 15 minutes at 1500Z on 23JUN due to a VIP departure.

NWWW/New Caledonia The South Pacific is not exempt from ATC strikes either; overnight closure of the NWWW airspace means no enroute traffic accepted in the FIR tonight – and sporadically ongoing. Note that the Fire Service also has reduced RFF category at specific times. Check Notams.

SKED/Bogota FIR NOTAM of the month award: Colombia Notam A1947 issued on 17JUN. Be aware of the potential for your Cabin Crew to request a change to the SID from ATC, unbeknownst to you. In full: “CHANGES TO STANDAR (sic) INSTRUMENT DEPARTURE (SID) COULD BE DONE BY RADIOTELEPHONY BETWEEN CABIN CREW AND THE CORRESPONDING ATS DEPARTMENT WHILE COMMUNICATION INTERCHANGE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH AERODROME OPERATIONS REF. AIP ENR 1.10”.

We actually have no idea what they mean. Let us know, and keep an eye out for those sneaky flight attendants.

LEPA/Palma has a bunch of outages, and runway and taxiway closures at present that will create restrictions and delays. Take a close look at your arrival and dep times before operating.

Suriname Immunisation checks for Yellow Fever are being carried out throughout June at all border check points, ports and international airports in Suriname; make sure you have a valid yellow fever certificate if required.

RJZZ/Japan On 22JUN heavy rains caused building damage and fatalities in southwestern Japan. At least six people died, as a result of the rain and mudslides across the island of Kyushu. Emergency personnel evacuated several hundred people due to the threat of further mudslides.

Uzbekistan has increased security due to a major summit, from 23-34JUN which may result in changes to flight departures and lengthy check in and security clearance at airports across the county.

View the full International Bulletin 22JUN2016


Monday Briefing: Russian overflights of Ukraine now prohibited, EUR: TCAS 7.1 Compulsary

All Russian overflights of Ukraine now prohibited 29NOV In a development of the dispute between Russia and Ukraine regarding traffic between the two countries, Ukraine has extended the original ban (which affected specific Russian Airline only) to all Russian registered Aircraft Operators. Notam 2604/15 issued last Wednesday has the specifics.

EUR: TCAS 7.1 Compulsary 01DEC The EASA Mandate for compulsary carriage of TCAS version 7.1 (with changes to “Adjust Vertical Speed” RA and resolution of “Reversal RA” problems) is 01DEC. All operators must have 7.1 on board. Note that this applies also to EU Territories abroad, eg. New Caledonia, Tahiti.


OYSC/Sanaa FIR We’ve received input from a number of US Airlines that although Yemeni landmass airspace is prohibited, operations through the OYSC/Sanaa FIR Oceanic portion are available in accordance with FDC5/5575.

NZAA/Auckland is closed every Monday morning 0130-0430LT for runway maintenance. However, Robin Leach at Air Centre One notes that several aircraft have departed for Auckland with an arrival time during this period resulting in airborne holding. Part of the issue is that a NOTAM is only issued if the work is cancelled; otherwise the (hard to spot) AIP/IFG notes for Auckland apply.

ZBAA/Beijing Chinese Authorities have issued an ‘orange level’ alert for smog on Sunday, with reports that visibility in places is down to a few hundred feet. This alert requires industrial plants to reduce or shut down production. With the current temperatures, Freezing Fog is affecting operations at Beijing Airports.

North Atlantic First day with the new NAT Tracks structure will be 01DEC per advice from NATS and Nav Canada, reporting that previous IT issues with the new tracks have been resolved.

Spain The National AFTN COM Centre is out of action for a few hours on Monday night (after 2100Z), meaning that FPL filing and other AFTN based messaging will be affected for Airports in Spain and the Canary Islands.

Bermuda Transatlantic Operators should note in addition to the new track structure on 01DEC, that Bermuda will be without radar coverage for the afternoon (1200Z-1600Z), and the National Authority there is recommending to avoid Bermuda airspace. A limited non-radar service will be provided, and only airways L459, 461, and 462 are useable if you do overfly. Refer to KZWY A0461/15 for more.

EINN/Shannon is again closed for maintenance this Monday night 01DEC, 2145Z-0500Z; use alternate diversion alternates!

EGLL/London Heathrow has a high risk of regulation for Mon, Nov 30th from 0540-2200Z due to strong winds. Please plan fuel accordingly for possible airborne delays.

HLLL/Libya FIR Due to the recent escalation of the Libyan Crisis all Italian aircraft operators have been prohibited from flying through HLLL FIR. Prior Permission to operate into HL available aerodromes also requires Prior Permission by the Libyan CAA. REF NOTAM A8382/15 which replaced A5637/15.

LFRR/Brest FIR Training and stepped implementation of the ERATO paperless strip system in Brest FIR commenced on 24NOV and will last until 18DEC with significant capacity reductions. A transition period with capacity reductions will follow from 19DEC; this may potentially extend into Summer 2016. Moderate and (in some case) high delays may be expected daily, depending on the sector configuration provided.

LTxx/Turkey In response to the downing of a Russian Fighter Jet, Russia will be suspending the Visa-Free Travel program between the countries effective 01JAN2016.

VICG/Changigarh The new Chandigarh international airport which was originally scheduled to close for runway resurfacing which was estimated to take approx a year will in fact now remain open during the construction. Work to resurface the runway will take place without disturbing the flight operations there.

EIDW/Dublin The DAA and IAA are currently exploring a further reduction in SID separation to 75 seconds (following aircraft given take-off clearance when preceding aircraft reaches 1NM past DER). Ongoing AIM is to reduce further to 60 seconds if possible.

MKJS/Montego Bay The operator of Sangster International Airport, MBJ Airports Limited, Announced that, effective 24NOV, electronic boarding passes will be accepted as part of the security screening process.

DNxx/Nigeria The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, suspended some oil marketers from supplying Jet A1 to airlines due to a lack of depot facilities. The affected marketing companies include Jushad Oil and Gas Limited, Lubcon Limited, Ascon Oil Company Limited, Acon Petroleum Limited and Star Orient Aviation Limited.

FQNC/Nacala,Mozambique Mozambique’s airport management company AdM stated on 24 November 2015 that Nacala Airport is expected to receive the proper certification to service international flights by December 2015. International airlines can begin using the facility by March or April 2016. Nacala Airport was a former military airbase and it opened as a civilian facility in December 2014. However, to date, the airport has only been permitted to service domestic flights.

 

View the full International Operations Bulletin for 30NOV2015