'Really positive year': Passenger numbers at Shannon Airport hit 16-year-high

Shannon Airport is celebrating a record-breaking year, with over 2.3 million visitors travelling through the airport in 2025. This is the highest number in 16 years, with the increase coming during a time of major investment, new routes and industry awards recognition.

Now in 2026, Shannon Airport will operate 40 routes to destinations across Europe, the US and UK. This includes five new routes in the summer schedule - Rome, Warsaw, Madrid and Poznan with Ryanair and Frankfurt with Discover Airlines along with increased frequencies on existing services, including Aer Lingus’ Boston route. 

Plans are also in place for over €40 million in investments this year, with projects including a full upgrade of the immigration and baggage halls, upgraded taxiways and a new thermal wrap of the external arrivals area, which will be key to helping The Shannon Airport Group reach its energy efficiency targets into the future.

Speaking on this, Interim CEO of The Shannon Airport Group, Ray O’Driscoll said: “2025 was a really positive year for The Shannon Airport Group. We achieved our highest passenger numbers in over 16 years and invested over €20 million in projects that have a very tangible benefit to both passengers and our sustainability goals. 

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“This brought our overall investment in the Group to almost €200 million in just over a decade. We’re looking forward to an even more ambitious 2026, during which passengers will have the choice of 40 routes, the highest number operating from Shannon Airport in 17 years,” he added. 

Passenger growth in 2025 was assisted by new routes and expanded services. Ryanair added a fourth based aircraft to Shannon, representing an additional $100 million investment in the region, announced new destinations including Madeira, Lapland and Madrid and increased frequencies on over 10 popular routes. 

2025 also saw the completion of significant sustainability and infrastructure projects, proving that growth happened on the ground as well as in the air. These include:

• The launch of Ireland’s first airfield solar PV farm, set to generate up to 20% of the airport’s electricity needs. This was another step forward in the Group’s sustainability journey which also saw improved operational controls and energy management systems. 
• 1,000 new passenger car park spaces created, bringing the total number of spaces on offer at the airport to over 5,600.
• An expansion of the airport’s existing European passenger boarding gates.

Over the past 10 years, The Shannon Airport Group has developed over a million sq. ft. of space across the airport and its commercial property business. This year will see the construction of Blocks Y and Z at the Shannon Airport Business Park, two cutting-edge industrial units, adding a combined 100,000 sq. ft. of energy-efficient space - a timely expansion given the park’s near-full capacity. 

Innovation at Shannon continued with Frontier Scientific Solutions, a new tenant, launching the world’s first dedicated life science air corridor between the EU and the US, linking Shannon to Wilmington, North Carolina. Further strengthening the park’s tech ecosystem, Galway-based firm Mbryonics - pioneering efforts to deliver the “internet in space” - leased Block R, the newly built, award-winning 40,000 sq. ft. R&D facility in the Business Park.

2025 marked 80 years since the first scheduled commercial, transatlantic passenger flight from the US to Europe, which landed at Shannon in October 1945. Celebrations included a community time capsule project and an 80-flights giveaway, which attracted over 100,000 entries nationwide. In addition, the Group also celebrated multiple awards and much industry recognition during the year, including: 

• Red C Brand Reaction Index – Shannon Airport as the number one airport brand in Ireland
• Aviation Industry Awards – Operational Excellence Award win for Shannon Airport
• Chambers Ireland Sustainable Business Impact Awards – Environment & Biodiversity Category win for The Shannon Airport Group

The Group reaffirmed its commitment to community and sport in 2025, raising €500,000 for charities over the past decade while also welcoming Irish Olympian Sharlene Mawdsley as an Airport Ambassador. Along with this, The Shannon Airport Group supported the Munster Rugby Women’s Team, who travelled on a Shannon Airport branded bus to victory in the 2025 Interprovincial Series.

Looking ahead, Ray O’Driscoll further added: “We are far more than just an airport and we are proud of the role The Shannon Airport Group plays in driving tourism, trade and economic growth. Our success to date is built on the dedication of our team, together with the loyalty and trust of our passengers and business partners.

“As we look ahead to 2026 and beyond, we remain committed to delivering the excellent customer experience that we are known for, expanding our route network and continuing our investment in sustainability and infrastructure as we strive to be best-in-class. Thank you to everyone who made 2025 such a standout year and we look forward to working together to achieve even more in 2026,” the Interim CEO added.