2023 has proven to be the busiest year on record at Ireland West Airport with passenger numbers increasing by 13% to 818,000 for the first time in the airports history, surpassing the previous record of 807,000 passengers achieved in 2019.

 

The airport now serves 21 International destinations and is served by three of Europe’s major International airlines, Aer Lingus, Lauda Europe and Ryanair.

 

Passenger numbers traveling on services to and from the UK totalled 665,000 in 2023, boosted by the commencement of a new daily service to London Heathrow with Aer Lingus, which provides onward connectivity to 80+ destinations worldwide. Ryanair recorded its busiest ever year for passenger numbers at the airport carrying over 730,000 passengers, a 3% increase on 2022 with record numbers using their services to and from Liverpool, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester in the UK.

 

The number of passengers traveling on services to Mainland and Continental Europe hit a new high for the airport, with 148,000 passengers traveling to and from Alicante, Barcelona, Faro, Majorca, Malaga, Milan, Cologne, Lanzarote and Tenerife which represented a 7% increase on 2022 figures.

 

Managing Director at Ireland West Airport Knock Joe Gilmore says they are delighted with the recovery post covid.

 

He says the year began with great fanfare with the arrival of US President Joe Biden.

 

Joe Gilmore has been giving more details to Midwest News where he began by paying tribute to the late Henry Wills who was a great friend of the airport.