Plans for a new plane spotting facility at Dublin Airport (DUB), Ireland, have been revealed that will provide aviation enthusiasts and members of the public with a dedicated viewing area to see aircraft take off and land.
On June 11, 2024, daa International, which runs Dublin Airport and Cork Airport (ORK), submitted a planning application to local officials for permission to construct an elevated covered platform with seating.
The proposed Aircraft Observation Facility would also include a car park with 22 parking spaces (including two spaces for people with reduced mobility and two dedicated family spaces), bike parking and solar panels located on the site to ensure its fully lit and has power.
The new facility, if approved, will be built where the current informal airport viewing point on Old Airport Road is located.
The area is commonly known by locals in Dublin as “The Mound” and is fully owned by the airport.
“This location has been an informal ‘plane-spotting’ area over the past 40 years and we think it’s time to put a more formal facility in place. It’s a rite of passage for kids in Dublin to be taken to ‘The Mound’ to watch the planes landing and taking off at the airport. This new facility would make it safer and more enjoyable for users and we think it’s a facility that the local community will enjoy,” said Gary McLean, Managing Director of Dublin Airport.
Dublin Airport said that the facility will provide a “comfortable and safe space for the community” to view aircraft activities with a perfect view of the south runway (10R/28L) and the cross-wind runway (16/34).
McLean added: “Aircraft observation facilities are a feature of airports around the world. As well as providing a plane-spotting platform, the facilities also create an interface between the airport and the local community, helping aviation enthusiasts to engage with the airport by observing aircraft movements and airport operations.”