Saturday, April 6, 2024
In March, Ireland’s two busiest airports saw a total of 2.9 million passengers traveling to and from them, as per data released today by daa, the airport operator. Dublin Airport experienced a 9% increase in passenger traffic compared to the same period last year, while Cork Airport saw a significant 25% rise in passenger numbers from March 2023.
The surge in passenger traffic can be attributed to St. Patrick’s Day and the onset of the Easter school holidays. Dublin Airport, being the national airport for Ireland, welcomed hundreds of thousands of passengers during the national holiday festivities. Similarly, Cork Airport saw tens of thousands of travelers arriving to partake in the celebrations and explore the scenic south of Ireland.
The earlier Easter this year also contributed to the high passenger numbers, with many taking advantage of the opportunity for well-deserved breaks and short vacations. Additionally, March marked the launch of new transatlantic services between Dublin and New York (JFK) as well as Boston by JetBlue.
Commenting on the March passenger traffic statistics, daa CEO, Kenny Jacobs said:
“March was a really busy month at both Dublin and Cork Airports. It was one of the wettest months on record and as a result, many opted to escape the weather here to travel to warmer, sunnier destinations. At Dublin Airport, last month’s numbers were boosted by some high-profile sporting events that took place in the Aviva, including the Six Nations clash against Scotland and the soccer friendlies against Switzerland and Belgium. Plenty of fans and punters also flew out to the Ireland v England rugby game in Twickenham and the Cheltenham Racing Festival.”
“Cork Airport had another fantastic month, with passenger numbers up 25% on March last year. A very extensive summer schedule has just started at Cork Airport, with a new Ryanair service to Brussels starting last weekend. Other new Ryanair services to Rhodes and Zadar will take off in June and Air France will add additional capacity on their key hub connections to Paris Charles de Gaulle for July and August,” Kenny Jacobs added.
Dublin Airport recently finished the initial phase of its external lighting upgrade initiative in collaboration with NuLumenTek®, an engineering company based in Cork. This project involved the installation of a modern RGBW color-changing system, which has notably transformed the appearance of the roadway and the check-in building.
Not only does this upgrade significantly improve the airport’s visual appeal, but it also aligns with sustainability goals by reducing energy consumption by around 80% compared to the previous single-color setup. Through the clever reuse of existing fixtures, the project minimizes waste while maximizing operational efficiency.
Furthermore, Terminal 2’s retail area has been revamped with new strip lighting, and further enhancements are on the horizon as Dublin Airport gears up for the upcoming busy summer season.
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
