Airports see continued growth in flights and passenger numbers

Business continued growing at the State’s airports last month, independent figures released yesterday show.

The Irish Aviation Authority’s (IAA) tally of commercial aircraft movements at Irish airports show the number at Dublin was up 10.5 per cent in January to 14,528 from 13,149 during the same month last year.

Commercial flights

The number of commercial craft taking off from and landing at

Cork

was up 8.9 per cent at 1,357 in January from 1,246.

Shannon showed a reduction in commercial flights in and out of the airport of 2.5 per cent to 1,222 from 1,253. However, a spokesman explained this was because airlines used wider-bodied craft, with more seats, so the number of passengers was up 6 per cent. “There were fewer turnarounds but more passengers,” he said.

Cork Airport returned to growth last year, aided by the launch of new services by CityJet and other carriers. It is set to get its first transatlantic flights, to Boston, in the spring.

Dublin Airport recently reported that passenger numbers in January rose 17 per cent to 1.7 million passengers.

IAA chief executive Eamonn Brennan said the number of flights into the Republic in January was approaching the same level as in summer five or six years ago. "Despite the turmoil in world markets, the aviation industry is doing well," he said. " This is driven by low fuel prices and extra capacity in the key markets."

Airspace

The number of flights through the Republic’s airspace by craft that did not land was up 14 per cent at 23,438 in January. The number of Europe-North America flights through the State’s airspace grew 10.5 per cent to 32,860.

Meanwhile, Ryanair announced it will be launching 13 new routes from Berlin next winter, including to Budapest, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Lisbon, Manchester and Seville, among others.