Airport Guide

History of Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport was built upon a greenfield site in the Collinstown area of the city formerly used by the British as an air base during the First World War. Though it had no concrete runway, it was chosen as the site to launch the already-established national airline, Aer Lingus, in 1936, with work beginning in 1939 and ending two years later. Opened to great acclaim, the terminal building - which can still be seen as it is now listed - was based on the bridge of a luxury liner and, after a break in services during World War Two, the airport benefitted from a period of rapid expansion throughout the 1950s and 60s, with transatlantic services complementing the UK and intra-Ireland routes.

In 1971, a new terminal was opened to cope with the growing numbers of passengers brought about by the arrival of wide-bodied aircraft, meaning the airport was capable of handling in excess of five million people a year. This number was further swelled in the 1980s as the Dublin to London route became increasingly competitive, while the dawn of low-cost air travel saw additional piers constructed throughout the 1990s and up until 2007.

Travelling to Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport is located just six miles north of the centre of the Irish capital, to which it is easily connected.

Most arrivals by car use the link road from the nearby M1 motorway, which connects Dublin to Belfast and therefore offers excellent access to the Northern Irish capital as well as to the rest of the country.

However, the vast majority of people flying in or out of Dublin take advantage of the excellent public transport options available.
More than 700 bus and coach services depart from the airport every day, reaching the city centre in around 20 minutes as well as serving the city's principal rail terminal, Heuston Station, and the rest of the country, most notably Cork in the south.
These services are due to be further complemented with the planned extension of the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (Dart) metro system to the airport within the next five years.

Airlines Flying From Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport has long served as the home for the national airline Aer Lingus, which operates dozens of routes to destinations across the globe. By far its busiest services are those making the short hop to London's airports, while Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh are also popular UK destinations. As well as flying to most European capitals and major cities, Aer Lingus also operates regular services to New York, Washington and Chicago.

Rivalling Aer Lingus for top spot at Dublin is the Irish budget airline Ryanair, which over the years has significantly expended upon its original services to Cork and Shannon. Now the low-cost carrier operates more than 40 routes to most countries in Europe, though its London service attracts the largest number of passengers.

Most European national carriers have a presence in Dublin, including Czech Airlines, BA, Estonia Air, Air Canada and Air France.
American Airlines, US Airways and Delta offer transatlantic routes, while around half a dozen low-cost carriers also offer services to the East of Europe to both tourists and economic migrants.