The South Dublin County Council has raised issues about the potential implementation of nighttime flights at Weston Airport, a part of the proposal to form a helicopter search and rescue (SAR) base on the premises. This plan was submitted earlier this year by the airport’s owners, Weston Aviation Academy Ltd. Should the permission be granted, the base would be run by Bristow Ireland Ltd, recent appointees to the nation’s SAR service.
The proposed facility, set to function around the clock, has two significant objectors, namely a local horse breeding business and the local residents. According to the council, their apprehensions focus on the proposal’s unsuitability with respect to location and access, and its impact on the organised expansion of the airport.
The proposed facility would bring about an upsurge in the airport’s use, with the addition of nighttime flights being especially worrisome, as the applicant mentioned the airport does not operate during the night, normally functioning from 8 AM to 8 PM.
The council was critical of the chosen location for potential development, citing it would alter the nature of activities at the Weston Airport, which includes among its investors John Collison, the co-founder of Stripe.
The Council referred to a lack of clear information about the proposed location and its closeness to sites sensitive to noise and has asked applicants to explain why they’ve chosen Weston Airport over nearby options including Dublin Airport and Baldonnell.
Tony Doyle, a stud farm operator, specified to the council that the thought of nighttime operations at Weston Airport could lead to severe issues for them, their livestock, and caretakers. Mr. Doyle explained that if any SAR helicopter flew overhead at night while the horses were at rest either in the stables or paddocks at his Coneyboro Stud Farm in Celbridge, Co Kildare, the effects could be dire leading to potential fatalities on his farm.
Despite these concerns, the applicants expect that the horse breeding farm nearby would not suffer any ill effects.