Dublin Airport passenger numbers up almost 3% in May

Passenger numbers up 7% year-to-date.

Football World Cup fever set to boost numbers in June.

98% through security in under 20 minutes.

Almost 3.5 million passengers travelled through Dublin Airport in May, an increase of 2.7% on the same month last year, as the busy summer period got underway.

The month was consistently busy with 28 of the 31 days seeing the airport welcome more than 100,000 passengers, with more than 120,000 travelling through on no fewer than eight days.

Through the first five months of 2026, a total of 14.3 million passengers have passed through Dublin Airport – up 7% on the same period last year.

Numbers were swelled in May by the start of the summer holiday season, the busy May bank holiday weekend and the start of the mass exodus of football fans from around the UK and Europe for the football World Cup in North America. Travel between Dublin and North America in May was 13% higher year-on-year, with strong numbers of visitors also arriving into Ireland from the U.S. and Canada.

The most popular destinations for departing passengers in the month were: 1) London Heathrow; 2) Amsterdam; 3) Manchester; 4) Malaga; and 5) London Gatwick.

Commentary on May

According to Gary McLean, Managing Director of Dublin Airport: “The start of the busy summer season seems to be getting earlier every year, and this was our busiest May on record, with an additional 93,000 passengers using our airport this May compared to the same month last year. Demand to fly in and out of Dublin Airport is very high and we’re expecting passenger numbers to come in around 2% higher this summer than last year’s record levels.

“The airport is running smoothly, and passengers are having a good experience in our terminals, which is testament to the hard work of the team. Passengers are loving the new additions and improvements in the airport, including the recently opened Phoenix Lounge in Terminal 1, which is proving very popular with departing passengers.

“June is set to be another busy month as we welcome many thousands of tourists to the island of Ireland from all around the world, while the summer holiday season ramps up for residents of Ireland seeking their annual fix of warm and sunny weather overseas. While the Irish team isn’t at the men’s football World Cup, we’re already seeing lots of Scottish, English, French, Dutch, Belgian and German jerseys in the terminals as they avail of Dublin Airport’s extensive route network and US pre-clearance facility, to reach North America to cheer their countries on at the tournament. In total, we expect up to 10,000 fans to travel through Dublin Airport in June on their way to the World Cup,” added McLean.

EU Presidency – getting ready

Dublin Airport is also gearing up for Ireland’s hosting of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of the year, with the airport’s original terminal building (the OCTB), currently being transformed into a dedicated hub for delegates and international visitors coming to Ireland for meetings and events.

Dublin Airport – May 2026 in numbers