IRELAND WEST:IRELAND WEST Airport Knock is on course to record the busiest year in its history following seven straight months of growth. The airport carried 73,237 passengers last month, the second busiest July period in its history. It is now projecting that 640,000 visitors will pass through the terminal this year, an increase of 9 per cent on last year.
The airport celebrated its 25th anniversary last month and has come a long way since its foundation in 1986 when it was widely derided as the airport in the “foggy boggy”.
While other regional airlines are struggling according to recent figures, passenger numbers are up by 16 per cent on last year, the largest passenger increase of any airport in Ireland this year.
Airport managing director Joe Gilmore said the increase could partially be accounted for by the absence of an ash cloud this year, but he also said visitor numbers were up especially from the UK.
Last week, Flybe announced a new four times weekly service to Manchester from Ireland West which will begin in October.
It follows on from the introduction of a service by the same airline to Edinburgh in April.