Shannon Airport achieved it’s highest passenger numbers in 14 years in 2023, with 1.958 million passengers travelling through the airport.
There was growth in air services across all markets, with passenger numbers to and from Continental Europe rising by 41 per cent to over 748,000.
UK traffic increased by 31 per cent to 838,000, while transatlantic passenger numbers increased by 24 per cent to 296,000.
These results build on the recent publication of an independent report by Oxford Economic, which found The Shannon Airport Group delivers a major contribution of almost 4 billion euro to Ireland’s GDP, supports over 20,300 jobs across the Irish workforce, and contributes 643 million euro in tax revenues.
In a statement to Clare FM, the CEO of the Shannon Airport Group says the results are a testament to the hard work of their team, the loyalty of customers and stakeholders, and support from Government.
Commenting on the Group’s positive performance in 2023, Mary Considine, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group said: “These results are a testament to the hard work of our team across The Shannon Airport Group, the loyalty of our customers and stakeholders, and support from Government.
“Shannon Airport’s temporary inclusion in the Regional Airports Programme helped us enormously to rebuild in the aftermath of COVID-19, and in 2023, much welcome Government funding supported our airport operation.
“We have achieved much, but know we can achieve even more for our region with continued Government support. Ultimately, Shannon Airport’s permanent inclusion in the Regional Airports Programme will deliver economic benefits for Ireland, aligning as it does with the Government’s own ambitions for ensuring balanced regional development. We have been lobbying hard for this for some time and continue to do so as we await the outcome of the Government’s Mid-Term Review of the Programme due shortly.”
Looking ahead, Ms Considine expressed confidence in the upcoming year; “We believe the year ahead will be positive. Our airport and commercial property activities create an environment that boosts economic growth and helps the region develop. Shannon was voted the best Irish airport brand in 2023 by Red C, and our customer focused approach will continue to be at the core of everything we do at Shannon Airport in 2024, as will growing our commercial property portfolio.”
Ms Considine also highlighted the potential for the Shannon Estuary to become a major global hub for renewable energy, focusing on offshore wind energy. “The strategic location of Shannon Airport offers huge potential for the development of sustainable aviation technology and the production of green fuel for the aviation sector, as recommended by the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce Report. We will continue to work closely with the Taskforce and Government to seize this opportunity,” she said.
