Prospects for 2023 look bright, with passenger numbers expected to exceed 2019 levels, reports Clodagh Dooley
Mary Considine, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group, cites the phenomenal demand for international travel for Shannon Airport’s strong performance in 2022.
Passenger numbers last year were up 300% when compared to 2021, with passenger traffic for 2023 expected to exceed 2019 levels. Ms Considine’s comments come following today’s publication of The Shannon Airport Group’s 2022 annual report.
“Passenger numbers at Shannon Airport in 2022 exceeded our expectations,” said Ms Considine. “The pent-up desire for international travel following the lifting of pandemic travel restrictions was reflected in an 88% recovery on 2019 passenger levels. We welcomed over 1.51 million passengers through our airport during 2022, which was a 300% increase on 2021 passenger numbers.
“The preparatory work we put in place during the pandemic greatly assisted us in our recovery. The introduction of our new, faster, airport security screening facility, the first state airport to do so, had a positive impact. Thanks to that, we have seen an increase in people from all over the country using Shannon Airport, as they now realise how ‘easy’ it is.”
Commenting on the outlook for this year, Ms Considine said, “Prospects at Shannon look bright for 2023 and this year, we will operate 35 routes to 11 countries. We are delighted to be giving our customers more destinations to choose from. In fact, we will have more routes this year than we did in 2019, with six brand-new destinations.
“These new services are to Naples, Beziers, Newcastle, Porto, and Liverpool, while our transatlantic services will be enhanced with the addition of a daily nonstop seasonal service to Chicago starting in May. By the end of 2023, we expect traffic volumes to have surpassed 2019 levels.”
She continues, “Visitor numbers to our Shannon Heritage sites also experienced a strong recovery in 2022 as a result of the resumption of international travel, with day visitor numbers back to over 80% of pre-pandemic levels. We are pleased that the transfer of Shannon Heritage to Clare County Council is underway.
“I would like to thank Shannon Heritage staff for their dedication and loyalty to the business over the years, and wish them and Clare County Council every success for the future. We look forward to maintaining our relationship with them as we grow vital air services that bring international visitors to these visitor sites and Ireland.”
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Clodagh Dooley
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