Ryanair this week has called on Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to immediately raise the funding cap for Ireland’s regional airports from 1m to 2m passengers p.a., ensuring their eligibility for exchequer funding under the Department of Transport’s Regional Airports Programme. At present, the Programme only allows funding for regional airports with fewer than 1m passengers p.a., which blocks increased passengers to drive tourism, jobs, and economic growth at Ireland’s regional airports.
The issue specifically relates to Ireland West Airport where 818,000 passengers used the airport in 2023. A significant increase in operations by Ryanair could cause the 1m passenger threshold to be exceed resulting in the loss of all regional airport funding.
On the 16th July the Department of Transport announced that its mid-term review found that “the Programme is delivering on its objectives and is in line with Ireland’s National Aviation Policy” – a policy that commits to enhancing Ireland’s connectivity and maximising the contribution of aviation to Ireland’s sustainable economic growth and development
In a statement, the company said: “Ryanair calls on Transport Minister E. Ryan to explain why, when there is already an artificial passenger cap at Dublin Airport stifling Ireland’s tourism, jobs, and economic growth, he would preside over another artificial passenger cap for regional airports that blocks growth. It makes no sense that regional airports are being penalised with the removal of exchequer funding for growing tourism and delivering economic benefit to the regions.”
On 7th March Ryanair presented Transport Minister Ryan with plans to grow Irish traffic/tourism by 50% to 30m passengers per annum over the next 6 years, under which Ryanair would invest over $1.6bn in new aircraft for Irish airports, create over 800 jobs, double traffic at Cork, Shannon and Kerry, and open a new 2 aircraft base at Ireland West Airport.
Ryanair’s Eddie Wilson said: “It is astounding that Ireland’s Minister for Transport not only continues to preside over the 32m passenger cap fiasco at Dublin Airport, but is now effectively allowing Ireland’s regional airports to be capped at 1m passengers p.a. by his own Department’s Regional Airport Programme. It makes no sense that regional airports are being penalised for growing tourism and delivering economic benefit to the regions. There is no incentive for regional airports, such as Knock, to grow beyond 1m passengers p.a. when their regions are trying to grow tourism and jobs.
Ryanair wants to grow Irish traffic and tourism, and on 7 Mar last, we presented a growth proposal to Transport Minister Ryan, under which Ryanair would invest over $1.6bn in new aircraft for Irish airports, create over 800 Irish jobs, double traffic at Cork, Shannon, and Kerry, and open a base at Knock Airport. However, this much-needed tourism, and economic growth is being restricted by the 1m passenger cap, which if exceeded, would mean regional airports, like Knock, would lose exchequer funding for future expansion.
Minister Ryan is not content presiding over the 32m passenger cap fiasco at Dublin Airport but is now capping passengers and blocking growth at regional airports too. Ryanair calls on Transport Minister Ryan to immediately raise the 1m passenger cap on funding for Ireland’s regional airports to at least 2m passengers p.a., as allowed under EU regulation, which would deliver more traffic, tourism, jobs, and economic growth to key regional airports and the surrounding communities.”
