Shannon Airport hosted more than 1.5m passengers in 2022

More than 1.5 million passengers travelled through Shannon Airport last year, the latest figures show.

Shannon Airport Group said on Monday that it handled 1.51 million passengers in 2022, around 200,000 or 12 per cent fewer than in 2019, when the total was 1.71 million.

However, group chief executive, Mary Considine, said that last year’s rebound beat the company’s expectations as many people flew overseas for the first time in three years.

European flights were the most popular, increasing 7 per cent on 2019 to 532,000, while UK services lured 638,000 travellers. Transatlantic flights returned after more than two years, accounting for 240,000 of the total.

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Ms Considine described this year’s prospects as bright. Shannon will have a new summer service to Chicago, adding to existing long-haul destinations, Boston, Newark and New York. In all, Shannon will have 35 routes, including new services to Naples, Italy, Beziers, France and Porto in Portugal.

The airport received Government cash under the Regional Airports Programme last year, allowing it to complete “critical” safety and security projects, according to its chief executive.

“The introduction of our new, faster, airport security screening facility continued to have a positive impact in 2022,” said Ms Considine. The new system eliminates the 100ml only rule for liquids, halving the time needed to get through security, she added.

Shannon Aiport Group is in talks to transfer tourist attractions including Bunratty Castle to Clare Co Council. The businesses were part of its tourist destination subsidiary from which the group is bidding to exit.

Meanwhile, Ryanair has announced it will fly from Kerry to sunspots Alicante and Palma among seven destinations this summer.

The Irish carrier says it will boost seat numbers by 7 per cent at Kerry Airport and carry 350,000 passengers this summer. It will offer flights to Alicante on Spain’s Costa Blanca, close to Benidorm, and Palma, as well as Manchester and London.

Ryanair’s Dara Brady predicted the hundreds of thousands of passengers would use its services this summer.