Flights in Irish airspace in May down on last year

The economic downturn continued to weigh on air travel last month, with total flights in Irish airspace in May 0.7 per cent lower than May 2011.

Figures from the Irish Aviation Authority show that international air travel in and out of Ireland saw the sharpest falls, down 1.1 per cent compared to May 2011 and more than 25 per cent lower than May 2008, the peak year for Irish air travel.

There was a marginal increase of 0.80 per cent in Ireland’s en-route traffic movements (flights that pass through Irish airspace but do not land in Ireland) during May 2012 when compared to May 2011.

Of the three main international State airports, Shannon has seen the biggest fall-off in flight numbers since the onset of the downturn, with the number of commercial flights down by 41 per cent since May 2008.

Cork airport has seen a 38 per cent fall over the last four years, while the number of flights in and out of Dublin airport has dropped by 20 per cent.

According to the International Air Transport Association, European carriers are expected to post aggregate losses of $1.1 billion in 2012 as the euro zone crisis continues.