Shannon records 15% passenger hike in first half of 2014
Shannon Airport has recorded a 15 per cent increase in terminal passenger numbers over the first time months of the year – thanks, in part, to 16 service enhancements, including nine new Ryanair routes.
A breakdown of figures revealed at a joint Shannon Airport/Ryanair Travel Clinic in Bunratty to promote the airline’s winter schedule, complete with five additional services on last year’s schedule, shows that passenger numbers on European routes have enjoyed a 54% uplift in the year to date.
The bulk of the increase has been driven by the nine new services – to Munich, Paris, Faro, Warsaw, Krakow, Nice, Poitiers, Berlin and Fuerteventura – launched by Ryanair in April.
Overall, passenger numbers through the Shannon terminal in the first six months of the year were 653,894, up from 568,133 in the same period last year.
The increase, which is timely in the context of the launch of the Wild Atlantic Way driving route this year, has not just been confined to Europe, with UK passengers showing a return to growth after some challenging years with a 5% increase and transatlantic up by 11%.
“We are really happy with the passenger numbers so far this year.
We worked hard with our airline partners to secure the new services and there has been a really positive response from the public,” said Shannon Airport Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Murphy.
“We have made huge strides this year in meeting the demand for services to and from Shannon with the nine new routes for the summer season. We are also looking at a better upcoming winter season thanks to the five additional services that Ryanair have announced.
“The significant increases in services are very timely this year with the launch of the Wild Atlantic Way.
Shannon is the only airport on the route with services from all three key markets, the US, UK and Europe. If Shannon is going well, it bodes well for the route,” he added.
Ryanair’s Head of Sales & Marketing, Peter Bellew, said the company was delighted to celebrate record growth at Shannon Airport with 18 routes which will deliver 750,000 customers for 2014.
“Ryanair’s nine new summer routes to and from Berlin, Faro, Fuerteventura, Krakow, Memmingen, Nice, Paris Beauvais, Poitiers and Warsaw Modlin, and five new winter routes to and from Berlin, Fuerteventura, Krakow, Paris Beauvais & Warsaw, will deliver over 300,000 additional passengers at Shannon Airport,” he concluded.