Shannon passenger numbers up 15%

The number of people travelling through Shannon Airport in the first six months of the year grew 15 per cent to 653,894 from 568,133 during the same period in 2013, the latest figures show.

The airport also said that numbers travelling to and from European destinations are up 54 per cent to date. Nine new services to destinations including Berlin, Fuerteventura, Munich and Paris, drove the bulk of the increase.

Traffic to and from the UK was up 5 per cent while transatlantic business grew 11 per cent.

The airport added 16 new routes during the first half of the year, including nine operated by low-cost carrier, Ryanair.

Shannon chief commercial officer, Andrew Murphy, said that the airport was happy with passenger numbers so far this year.

“The significant increases in services are very timely this year with the launch of the Wild Atlantic Way,” he said.

"Shannon is the only airport on the route with services from all three key markets, the US, Europe and UK."