Ireland West Airport has reported its busiest year on record, with 946,381 passengers travelling through the airport in 2025. This marks a 13.5% increase on the previous record of 834,000 set in 2024, securing its position as Ireland’s fastest‑growing airport last year. The airport now serves 21 international destinations and continues to expand its reach with services operated by Aer Lingus, Lauda Europe, and Ryanair.
Ryanair delivered its strongest year to date at the airport, driven by increased demand on services to Edinburgh, Liverpool, London Luton, Manchester, Faro, and Malaga. Aer Lingus also achieved record passenger numbers on its London Heathrow service, carrying more than 96,000 passengers in 2025. UK routes remain the cornerstone of the airport’s traffic, with 732,501 passengers travelling to and from the UK last year — a 10% rise on 2024 and the highest annual UK total in the airport’s history. Services to Mainland and Continental Europe also performed exceptionally well, with 207,603 passengers flying to destinations such as Alicante, Barcelona, Milan, Cologne, and the Canary Islands, representing a 28% increase on the previous year.
August was the busiest month the airport has ever experienced, with 106,361 passengers recorded. The single busiest day also occurred in August, when more than 4,600 passengers passed through the terminal on Sunday, 17th August. Across the full year, over 6,000 flights operated in and out of Ireland West.
Significant progress was made during 2025 on the Airport Transformation Programme, supported by almost €8 million in investment from the Department of Transport. Key projects included the construction of a new sheltered passenger walkway and the start of works on a 1.5MW solar farm, both integral to improving passenger experience and enhancing the airport’s long‑term sustainability. The airport also retained its Level 3 ‘Optimisation’ accreditation under the Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme, recognising its continued efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions and maintain high environmental standards.
In addition to its operational achievements, the airport raised a record €54,000 for its six staff‑nominated charities. Each organisation — Connacht SBHI Branch, the Dillon Quirke Foundation, Mayo Roscommon Hospice, the Order of Malta (Knock Branch), the National Breast Cancer Research Institute, and Western Alzheimers — received €9,000 as part of the airport’s Charities of the Year programme.
Looking ahead, 2026 is set to be a landmark year as Ireland West Airport celebrates the 40th anniversary of its official opening in May. Passenger numbers are forecast to exceed 950,000 for the first time, supported by additional Ryanair capacity on routes to Malaga, Milan, Liverpool, and London. The airport expects another record‑breaking year as it continues to grow its network and enhance its facilities for passengers and airline partners alike.
Commenting on the 2025 performance, Arthur French, Chairman of Ireland West Airport, said: “We are delighted to report a record year for passenger numbers at the airport, the third consecutive year of record passenger traffic, which is a testament to the continued strong support for the airport. Demand for our routes and services from right across the region and overseas continues to grow, reflected in record passenger numbers of 946,381 last year and, in turn, making it Ireland’s fastest-growing airport. I want to thank the Government, Ministers and TDs for their support for the airport in 2025, and we look forward to continuing to work with Government representatives to further develop and grow the airport from 2026 onwards. I wish to extend our sincere thanks to our customers, airline and tour operator partners, stakeholders, tourism groups and Local Authority partners for their continued support in helping us grow passenger numbers and expand international connectivity for the region. I also want to pay special tribute to our airport staff for their ongoing dedication and focus on ensuring every journey through the airport is both safe and welcoming. We look forward with great optimism for the year ahead and to celebrating a wonderful milestone for the airport as we mark the 40th anniversary of the official opening of the airport, which will be a momentous occasion for the airport and the west of Ireland”
