Airport figures at pre financial crash levels

The number of passengers flying from London-Heathrow to Dublin route have reached their highest levels since the financial crisis began, new figures have shown.

The route saw the biggest growth in passengers of any leaving the capital’s main airport, up over 57,000 on the route between January and September 2013 to the same period in 2012. With a total of 1.25 million, passengers on this route are 45,000 up on the same period in 2009.

Recent Central Statistics Office figures on passenger movements from Dublin Airport to all foreign airports are for January to September this year.

Another route showing pre-crash passenger figures was Dublin to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. Some 197,000 passengers travelled on the route, higher than the 175,000 in the same period in 2009. Growth was up 42,000 (27 per cent) on the same period in 2012.

The year of the Gathering has seen 13.8 per cent growth in passengers from North America.