Dublin Airport has submitted a planning application for a new public Aircraft Observation Facility on Old Airport Road.
If approved the facility will be built on the site of an existing informal airport viewing point known locally as ‘The Mound’.
The airport said that the new elevated platform would provide “a comfortable and safe space for the community to view aircraft movements, with a clear view of the south runway (10R/28L) and the cross-wind runway (16/34)”.
The facility would be covered and “fully-lit, with power provided by solar panels located on the site”, and would also feature bike parking and 22 car parking spaces – including spaces dedicated for families and those with reduced mobility.
Several UK airports have official public viewing facilities, including Birmingham’s free aircraft viewing area in the airport’s Car Park 5.
Heathrow airport lists several “spectator areas” ranging from an observation deck near gates 15 and 16, and a covered viewing stand at the Heathrow Academy building on Newall Road.
And Manchester Airport has the paid-for Runway Visitor Park, which features a runway viewing platform, children’s play area, a flight simulator and several retired aircraft on display including Concorde and a Monarch DC10.
Commenting on the news Gary McLean, managing director of Dublin Airport, said:
“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.
“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.”
Which airport worldwide has the best facilities for plane-spotting? Let us know in the comments section below.