AirNav Ireland handled 908,649 flights in Irish airspace between January and September 2023, marking a 15pc increase compared to 2022 but still behind levels of 2019.
The total figure of flights includes commercial terminal movements at Dublin, Cork, and Shannon airports, North Atlantic Communications flights (Europe/US flights), and en Route flights (flights not landing in Ireland).
Air Traffic Controllers, now a part of the new AirNav Ireland company, managed 237,227 flights at Dublin, Shannon, and Cork airports, up 15pc increase from 2022, as follows:
- Dublin airport 184,128
- Cork airport 31,007
- Shannon Airport 22,092
Transatlantic flights were up 14pc to 392,212 flights, passing through Irish airspace in 2023.
Peter Kearney, CEO of AirNav Ireland said “we are committed to investing in training and developing new air traffic control officers. We plan to train a further 240 suitable candidates for careers in air traffic control over the next ten years, while employment opportunities in engineering will be available in 2024.“
AirNav Ireland’s performance stands in contrast to NATS, England’s Air Navigation Service Provider, which has faced criticism for recent service disruptions and a 33pc increase in charges.
