Dublin Airport picks Esri Ireland for digital twin

daa has chosen Esri Ireland's ArcGIS technology to build a digital twin of Dublin Airport, giving it a single view of priority assets and systems across the campus.

The project is part of daa's multi-billion-euro capital investment programme as Dublin Airport works towards handling 40 million passengers a year. It will bring together information currently spread across several systems.

The platform will combine data from CAD, BIM and IoT sensors into a single record of infrastructure and operations, covering assets from 307 kilometres of water pipelines to more than 8,500 airfield ground lights.

Dublin Airport is expanding its estate and operations, with 50 airlines flying to almost 200 destinations. ArcGIS will provide a shared foundation for projects including the new runway, terminal extensions, additional car parking and a transport hub linked to Metro plans.

Investment planning

By bringing planning and asset data together, daa aims to improve how it sequences projects and allocates capital spending. Earlier visibility of maintenance needs should also help teams decide more quickly where repairs and investment are needed.

The digital twin is also intended to support day-to-day operations by highlighting pressure points around security queues and escalators, allowing managers to deploy staff and other resources to reduce waiting times.

Existing ArcGIS applications are already used across the airport for tasks including manhole surveys, crane inspections and a shift handover application used by more than 40 team leaders.

That handover tool standardises how information passes between shifts and gives senior management live updates twice a day. Interactive dashboards also give engineering and operational teams visibility over activity across the airport.

Operational use

The technology is already used in safety and compliance work, including fire hydrant mapping and reporting for the Irish Aviation Authority. It is also being used for energy monitoring, noise mapping and flight path analysis as part of daa's net zero target for 2050.

The move places Dublin Airport among a relatively small group of airports using digital twin technology in this way. daa cited San Francisco and Hong Kong as other early adopters.

Michael Earley, BIM and Digital Manager, daa, said: "A digital twin gives us the insight to make faster decisions by bringing together information that was previously spread across multiple systems. It means our teams can work from the same information and have a clearer picture of what is happening across the airport. It lays the foundations to support future growth as we work towards serving 40 million passengers a year."

Damien Garry, Asset Management, Information Technology and Development Manager, daa, said: "Esri's technology helps us manage infrastructure more efficiently and enhance the passenger experience. As we continue to invest in the airport's expansion, having this level of visibility will be critical to delivering projects safely and sustainably. The technology gives us greater confidence in the decisions we are making as the airport continues to grow."

Esri Ireland provides geographic information systems to organisations in Ireland and Northern Ireland. daa operates Dublin and Cork airports and has airport retail and consultancy businesses in 13 countries. At Dublin Airport, the immediate task is to use these systems to create a single operational picture of an expanding site with rising passenger demand.

Padraig Quinn, Senior Account Manager, Esri Ireland, said: "Dublin Airport is demonstrating how location intelligence can provide the foundation for the airport of the future. By creating a single, trusted view of its infrastructure and operations, daa can make more informed decisions and deliver a better experience for millions of passengers. Digital twins will play an increasingly important role in helping airports build more resilient and passenger-focused operations. We're proud to support this transformation with ArcGIS as Dublin Airport continues its investment in future growth."