Ireland West Airport leads the way as Ireland’s fastest-growing airport, as passenger numbers rise to 946,000 in 2025

2025 has proven to be the busiest year on record at Ireland West Airport, with passenger numbers reaching 946,381 for the first time in the airport’s history, surpassing the previous record of 834,000 passengers set in 2024, a 13.5% increase, making it Ireland’s fastest-growing airport last year. The airport now serves 21 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 Edinburgh, Liverpool, London Luton, Manchester, Faro and Malaga. Aer Lingus also recorded its busiest-ever year for passenger traffic at the airport, with over 96,000 passengers using the London Heathrow service in 2025.

In 2025, the number of passengers travelling on services to and from the UK totalled 732,501, an increase of 10% compared to 2024 and a new record for UK traffic to and from the airport. The number of passengers travelling on services to Mainland and Continental Europe also hit a new high, with 207,603 passengers travelling to and from Alicante, Barcelona, Faro, Majorca, Malaga, Milan, Cologne, Lanzarote, and Tenerife, representing a 28% increase on 2024 figures.

August was the busiest month of the year, with 106,361 passengers travelling through the airport during this period, which proved to be the busiest month in the airport’s history. The busiest day of the year also occurred in August: over 4,600 passengers travelled through the airport on Sunday, August 17^th, setting a new high for the airport. In total, over 6,000 flights arrived and departed at the airport in 2025.

2025 saw continued investment in the Airport Transformation Programme, with several infrastructural projects completed during the year 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 €8,000,000 was invested in safety, security, and infrastructure projects at the airport in 2025. Key projects included the construction of a new sheltered passenger walkway and the commencement of works on a new 1.5MW PV Solar farm at the airport. Last year, the airport also maintained its 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.

In December, the airport was delighted to present a cheque for a record €54,000 to the airport’s six staff-nominated charities for 2025. Connacht SBHI Branch (Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus), Dillon Quirke Foundation, Mayo Roscommon Hospice, Order of Malta (Knock Branch), The National Breast Cancer Research Institute, and Western Alzheimers each received a cheque worth €9,000. Airport employees selected them as part of the company’s Charities of the Year programme for 2025.

2026 will be a milestone year for the airport, as it celebrates the 40^th anniversary of its official opening in May 2026. The passenger growth forecast remains positive, with the airport expecting another record year in 2026, with annual passenger numbers expected to exceed 950,000 for the first time. Ryanair will add extra capacity on its services to Malaga, Milan, Liverpool and London in 2026.

Commenting on the 2025 performance, Arthur French, Chairman of Ireland West Airport, said: “We are delighted to report a record year for passenger numbers at the airport, the third consecutive year of record passenger traffic, which is a testament to the continued strong support for the airport. Demand for our routes and services from right across the region and overseas continues to grow, reflected in record passenger numbers of 946,381 last year and, in turn, making it Ireland’s fastest-growing airport. I want to thank the Government, Ministers and TDs for their support for the airport in 2025, and we look forward to continuing to work with Government representatives to further develop and grow the airport from 2026 onwards. I wish to extend our sincere thanks to our customers, airline and tour operator partners, stakeholders, tourism groups and Local Authority partners for their continued support in helping us grow passenger numbers and expand international connectivity for the region. I also want to pay special tribute to our airport staff for their ongoing dedication and focus on ensuring every journey through the airport is both safe and welcoming. We look forward with great optimism for the year ahead and to celebrating a wonderful milestone for the airport as we mark the 40^th anniversary of the official opening of the airport, which will be a momentous occasion for the airport and the west of Ireland”.