Ireland West Airport records highest-ever passenger numbers as 834,000 passengers use the airport in 2024

2024 has proven to be the busiest year on record at Ireland West Airport. For the first time in the airport’s history, passenger numbers increased by 2% to 834,000, surpassing the previous record of 817,000 passengers achieved in 2023. The airport now serves 22 International destinations and is served by three of Europe’s major international airlines: Aer Lingus, Lauda Europe, and Ryanair.

Ryanair recorded its busiest-ever year for passenger traffic at the airport, with record numbers using its services to the likes of Liverpool and London Luton. Aer Lingus also recorded its busiest-ever year for passenger traffic at the airport, with its London Heathrow service going from strength to strength in 2024.

In 2024, the number of passengers travelling on services to and from the UK totalled 667,732, an increase of 1% compared to 2023. The number of passengers travelling on services to Mainland and Continental Europe hit a new high for the airport, with 165,500 passengers travelling to and from Alicante, Barcelona, Faro, Majorca, Malaga, Milan, Cologne, Lanzarote, and Tenerife, representing a 9% increase on 2023 figures.

August was the busiest month of the year, with 90,355 passengers travelling through the airport during this period. The busiest individual day of the year also occurred in August: over 3,600 passengers travelled through the airport on Sunday, August 18th. In total, almost 6,000 flights arrived and departed at the airport in 2024.

The passenger growth forecast for 2025 looks positive following the announcement of a new inbound Tourism service from Groningen, Netherlands, which commences in June with leading Dutch Tour Operator BBI Travel. In addition, Ryanair will increase capacity at the airport by approximately 10% in 2025, adding capacity to popular services to Alicante, Malaga, and Faro. This will be welcome news for sun holiday travellers from across the region.

2024 saw continued investment in the Airport Transformation Programme, with several infrastructural projects completed during 2024 aimed at maintaining the highest international safety and security standards and modernising the airport’s facilities to meet the future needs of both our airline customers and passengers. In total, with the support of the Department of Transport, almost €7,000,000, was invested in completing safety, security and infrastructural projects at the airport in 2024. Last year, the airport achieved Level 3 Accreditation, ‘Optimisation’, in recognition of the airport’s actions to address its CO2 emissions, as part of the Global industry’s response to the challenge of climate change. Achieving Level 3 Accreditation is in recognition of the airport’s exemplary work in reducing its carbon emissions and engaging other stakeholders to do the same as part of the Global airport industry’s response to the challenge of climate change.

Commenting on the 2024 performance, Arthur French, Chairman of Ireland West Airport, said: “We are delighted to report a record year for passenger numbers at the airport, the second consecutive year of record passenger traffic. Demand for our routes and services from right across the region and from overseas continues to grow and this is reflected in achieving record passenger numbers of 834,000 in 2024. I’m pleased that the airport achieved Level 3 Accreditation, in recognition of the airport’s actions to address its CO2 emissions. In 2024, we welcomed the appointment of Dominick Healy to the role of Project Manager of the Strategic Development Zone at the airport, and we look forward to working with Dominick to deliver on the undoubted potential that the Strategic Development Zone provides in harnessing the economic potential of the Atlantic Economic Corridor along the Northwestern seaboard from Galway to Donegal. I would like to thank the outgoing Government, Ministers and TDs for their support for the airport in 2024, and we look forward to working with the new Government representatives in continuing to further develop and grow the airport from 2025 onwards. In addition, I wish to express our continued gratitude to our customers, airline and tour operator partners, stakeholders, tourism groups and Local Authority partners for their ongoing support in helping us to continue to grow passenger numbers and develop international connectivity for the region. Finally, a special word of thanks to the staff at the airport for their continued dedication and focus in ensuring the customer and passenger experience through the airport is both a safe and welcoming one. Whilst the coming year will present many challenges, we will continue to work with our stakeholders and airline partners to grow our suite of routes from the airport whilst continuing to invest in our airport transformation and sustainability programmes”.