Record number of passengers using Irish airports
In spite of the now scrapped passenger cap at Dublin Airport, more than 50 million passengers passed through Irish airports in 2024, the most recent year for which data is available.
In 2024, around 41 million passengers travelled through the five airports in the State, while an additional 9.3 million passed through the three commercial airports in the North.
In Dublin, in spite of the government-mandated cap of 32 million passengers per year, which was subsequently scrapped in February 2026, figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that 34.6 million passengers used the airport, a record since figures were first recorded in 1998. Since figures were first recorded, air traffic has nearly trebled, with 11.6 million passengers having travelled through Dublin in 1998.
The last year at Dublin Airport has also seen the establishment of new routes throughout the United States, with Aer Lingus now offering services to Nashville, Tennessee; Cleveland, Ohio; and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The airline is also scheduled to commence new routes to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Raleigh, North Carolina in 2026; and will briefly serve the Caribbean for the first time with a route from Dublin to Barbados in March and April 2026.
While Ireland’s route network to the United States and Europe is extensive, long-haul options elsewhere in the world remain limited, with the Government’s recently-abolished passenger cap meaning that new routes have been difficult to establish. There remains a route to Beijing, China through Hainan Airways, while Doha, Qatar; and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates are served by Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, and Emirates respectively.
South America, Oceania, and sub-Saharan Africa remain inaccessible from Dublin Airport.
Cork and Shannon
Cork Airport recorded a record high number of passengers in 2025 (the figures were released by the airport itself rather than the CSO), with just under 3.5 million passengers using the airport in the last year. 2025 also saw Cork awarded with Airport Council International (ACI) EUROPE Best Airport Awards’ best European regional airport award.
The airport has also announced a €200 million investment plan that includes a new pier and additional gates, new solar farm, car park extension and new security screening technology. The plan also requires the demolition of the old terminal and air traffic control tower. The upgrade aims to enable the airport to cater for five million passengers per annum.
Although far from its historical numbers, passenger use at Shannon Airport has risen in consecutive years since 2021 and the end of the Covid-19 restrictions. In 2024, two US carriers announced that they would return to using Shannon Airport, with Delta Air Lines flying from New York to Shannon and Chicago, and Newark being served by United Airlines. Aer Lingus continues to offer services to Britain, New York, and Boston, while Ryanair offers a fairly comprehensive route network to the European mainland.
Regional airports
There are five regional airports in the State: Ireland West (Knock), Kerry, Donegal, Waterford, and Sligo.
Ireland West and Kerry have been resounding success stories in recent years. More than 400,000 passengers passed through Kerry Airport in both 2023 and 2024, and the airport is served with routes to Britain, Germany, Portugal, and Spain with Ryanair, as well as a number of small French airports with the French regional airline, Chalair Aviation. Furthermore, the domestic route to Dublin, which was historically subsidised by the Public Service Obligation (PSO) scheme, is now run on a commercially viable basis by Ryanair.
In Ireland West, nearly 950,000 passengers passed through the airport in 2025, a record high for the airport and the third consecutive year in which a record was set. Ryanair offers a comprehensive route network covering Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Portugal while Aer Lingus offers routes to London Heathrow and Groningen, the Netherlands.
Elsewhere, however, success has been limited. Sligo Airport has not operated commercial routes since the 2008 Great Recession. The same is true for Galway Airport, which has since closed. Waterford Airport, in spite of significant investment for increasing the size of both its terminal and runway, has had no commercial routes since 2016.
Industry experts have cited the potential of the regional airports to subsume the demand being placed on Dublin Airport.
The North
In the North, both airports in Belfast, Belfast International and Belfast City, have recovered well post-pandemic, with the International airport recording a record 6.7 million passengers in 2024 and a comprehensive summer holiday network which offers routes to Mexico, the Caribbean, and the United States, as well as across Europe.
Belfast City Airport recorded 2.4 million passengers in 2024, with a comprehensive regional network serving Britain, and a small number of European destinations being served by KLM, Aer Lingus, and EasyJet.
The City of Derry Airport, however, continues to struggle, with a modest 174,000 passengers passing through the airport in 2024 and a handful of routes in Britain being offered. However, the Government has announced that it will fund a regional route to Derry from Dublin with the PSO scheme, meaning Derry will get a new route. The PSO contract is set to be awarded in Q3 2026.
