Shannon Airport had a strong growth surge in 2023 with 1.958 million passengers welcomed to the airport, a 29% increase on the 2022 numbers. This strong performance saw the airport achieve its highest passenger numbers since 2009, 14 years ago, with growth in air services across all markets. Passenger numbers to and from Continental Europe rose by 41% to over 748,000; UK traffic increased by 31% recording 838,000, while transatlantic passenger numbers increased by 24% to 296,000. These results build on the recent publication of an independent report by Oxford Economics showing that The Shannon Airport Group delivers a major contribution of almost €4 billion (€3.96bn) to Ireland’s GDP, supports over 20,300 jobs across the Irish workforce, and contributes €643m in tax revenues.
Shannon Airport’s service offering was boosted considerably in 2023 with new Ryanair services to destinations including Naples, Porto, Béziers and Liverpool, as well as additional capacity on some popular destinations, particularly during peak holiday times and school holidays. Another highlight was the launch of the new Aer Lingus service to the hub airport of Paris Charles de Gaulle. Transatlantic services at Shannon received a major boost in 2023 with the launch by United Airlines of a new daily Chicago service. Passengers can look forward to even more transatlantic services in 2024 with the return of the Delta Air Lines daily seasonal service from Shannon to New York JFK beginning in May this year. This will bring the total number of US services from Shannon to five.
Commenting on the positive performance of Shannon Airport in 2023, the CEO of The Shannon Airport Group, Mary Considine said, “These results are a testament to the hard work of our team across The Shannon Airport Group, the loyalty of our customers and stakeholders, and support from Government. Shannon Airport’s temporary inclusion in the Regional Airports Programme helped us enormously to rebuild in the aftermath of COVID-19, and in 2023, much welcome Government funding supported our airport operation. We have achieved much, but know we can achieve even more for our region with continued Government support. Ultimately, Shannon Airport’s permanent inclusion in the Regional Airports Programme will deliver economic benefits for Ireland, aligning as it does with the Government’s own ambitions for ensuring balanced regional development. We have been lobbying hard for this for some time and continue to do so as we await the outcome of the Government’s Mid-Term Review of the Programme due shortly.”
