Passenger numbers at Dublin Airport are set to reach a record 20 million this year, according to the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA).
Figures for the first nine months of 2006 showed an increase of two million on 2005. Total traffic to the end of September reached 16.2 million, an increase of 15 per cent on 2005.
"The growth of an additional two million passengers to date represents an extra full peak month of traffic at Dublin Airport," said a DAA spokesperson.
"There is little doubt that passenger traffic through Dublin Airport this year will surpass new record levels of over 20 million passengers."
The European market delivered the strongest growth so far this year with almost eight million passengers, a 25 per cent increase on last year's figures. Both Aer Lingus and Ryanair contributed to the extra volume by introducing new European routes and larger aircraft.
Transatlantic traffic grew by 7 per cent to over one million passengers. The DAA said this increase can be attributed to good performances on the New York route and in particular with the addition of daily flights into the general New York area.
UK traffic rose by 5 per cent to 6.4 million passengers for the first nine months, while domestic traffic grew by 26 per cent to over 600,000 passengers.
A new milestone was reached in June when more than two million passengers travelled through the airport in one month for the first time.
PA