MORE THAN 700,000 passengers flew via Knock Airport last year – the highest figure ever in its 29 year history.
The annual number of passengers using the airport in 2014 increased by over 38,000 to 703,324 – a jump of 5.7% on the previous year.
Ireland West Airport now flies to over 20 international destinations and is served by three of Europe’s major International airlines: Aer Lingus, Flybe and Ryanair.
August was the airport’s busiest month in history, with a total of 102,774 passengers passing through the terminal. This marked the first time that more than 100,000 people used the airport in a calendar month.
Last year saw a major increase in traffic to and from the UK (the airport’s biggest market), with passenger numbers up 9.4% on 2013 numbers.
An extra 44,000 people flew on Ryanair’s London services to Stansted and Luton (a 20% increase), while Aer Lingus’s London Gatwick service grew by 6%. Flybe services to Manchester and Birmingham also performed strongly with passenger numbers up 9% across both routes.
Joe Gilmore, Managing Director at Ireland West Airport Knock, thanked customers, staff and tourism groups for making 2014 a record-breaking year.
We are delighted to have had a record year in 2014 with record numbers on almost all of our services, highlighting the airports importance as the main international gateway for the West and North West of Ireland, and indeed the Wild Atlantic Way.
Last year, the facility underwent a number of upgrades including the installation of an airport-wide CCTV system, costing €200,000. A €1.7 million upgrade of the Runway End Safety Area and aircraft turning circle was also completed in 2014, to meet existing regulatory requirements.
It was recently announced that seven local authorities have agreed in principle to make investments in the airport. These include both Galway city and county councils, together with Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Roscommon and Mayo county councils.
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