Ireland West Airport achieved a record-breaking year in 2023 with 817,790 passengers, a historical high since its opening, marking a 13pc increase from the previous year and exceeding the 2019 record of 806,877 passengers by 1.35pc.
The airport now connects 21 international destinations and is supported by major European airlines including Aer Lingus, Lauda Europe, and Ryanair.
A significant boost in cross channel travel was recorded with 665,000 passengers, influenced by a new daily Aer Lingus service to London Heathrow, providing connections to over 80 global destinations.
Passenger traffic to mainland and continental Europe soared to 148,000, showcasing a 7pc increase from the prior year with popular locations like Alicante, Barcelona, and Malaga among others.
Infrastructure enhancements were part of the 2023 Airport Transformation Programme, including the new cabin baggage screening system that simplifies the security process.
Airport Chair Arthur French said “the record year for the airport is great news for tourism and job creation, both at the airport and in the wider economy. 2023 was a milestone year for the airport, we had the honour of welcoming the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden, to the West of Ireland, as he touched down at the airport on Friday 14th April, in what was a momentous occasion for the airport and indeed the West of Ireland.
We launched new services to both Lanzarote and Tenerife with Ryanair, and for the first time launched a new daily service with Aer Lingus, to one of Europe’s major international airport hubs, London Heathrow. I would like to thank Minister Eamon Ryan TD, and Minister of State Jack Chambers, TD, and Govt representatives for their continued support for the airport. In addition, I wish to express our 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. I would also like to say a special word of thanks to the staff at the airport for their hard work and continued focus on ensuring the customer and passenger experience through the airport is both a safe and welcoming one. We will continue to work with our stakeholders and airline partners over the next 12 months as we strive to further grow our suite of routes from the airport whilst continuing to invest in our airport transformation programme’.
