Both Dublin and Cork airports experienced a surge in passenger traffic throughout 2024, concluding the year with over 37.7 million passengers passing through their terminals. Dublin Airport saw a slight decline in December but remained a strong performer with a 4% increase for the year. Cork Airport achieved record-breaking figures, surpassing its three millionth passenger milestone for the first time since 2008 and solidifying its position as Ireland's fastest-growing airport.
Dublin and Cork airports witnessed a surge in passenger traffic during December 2024, collectively serving more than 2.5 million travelers. This strong performance concluded a remarkable year for both airports, with a total of 37.7 million passengers passing through their terminals in 2024. The robust passenger numbers reflect a consistent demand for travel fueled by tourists, business professionals, and the general public, coupled with continued population growth.
Cork Airport achieved a record-breaking December, welcoming 211,000 passengers, marking a 7 percent increase compared to December 2023. The airport experienced its busiest day on Saturday, December 28, when 10,000 passengers traversed its facilities, representing a 15.6 percent surge compared to the same day in 2023. This milestone was further amplified on Friday, December 20, when Cork Airport welcomed its three millionth passenger for the year, a significant achievement that surpassed the yearly milestone last reached in 2008.2024 proved to be the busiest year for international passenger traffic in Cork Airport's 63-year history, solidifying its position as Ireland's fastest-growing airport. Looking ahead to 2025, Cork Airport is poised for continued expansion, offering direct services to 14 countries through 56 routes operated by nine scheduled airlines. The airport is also finalizing a new Capital Development Plan, which will encompass key infrastructure projects designed to accommodate a substantially larger passenger volume in alignment with population growth and travel demand. Details of this comprehensive plan will be unveiled in the first quarter of 2025.Dublin Airport, on the other hand, experienced an end to its 11-month growth streak in December. Despite welcoming 2.29 million passengers through its terminals, this represented a 1 percent decline compared to December 2023, contrasting the previous 11 months which had all witnessed increases. The busiest day at Dublin Airport during December was Sunday, December 29, when 98,000 passengers passed through its facilities, a 4 percent decrease compared to the same day in 2023. These reductions can be attributed to the impact of the winter seat cap parameter implemented by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) to address Dublin Airport's 32 million planning cap. This measure prevented airlines from adding ad hoc or charter flights during December, a practice previously allowed.Overall, 2024 proved to be a year of growth for Dublin Airport, with a total of 33.3 million passengers utilizing its terminals, marking a 4 percent increase compared to 2023 figures. When including connecting and other passengers, the total number of passengers using Dublin Airport in 2024 reached 34.6 million, reflecting a 3.3 percent increase compared to 2023. Notably, on 171 days throughout 2024, the airport facilitated more than 100,000 passengers per day, demonstrating its operational capacity to manage 36 million passengers annually. Given the robust demand for travel to and from Dublin Airport, daa (Dublin Airport Authority) estimates that overall passenger numbers would have been even higher had it not been for the terminal passenger cap and daa's initiatives to moderate demand in compliance with planning regulations. Commenting on the year's performance, Kenny Jacobs, daa CEO, expressed, “2024 was a strong year for both Dublin and Cork airports, and I extend my gratitude to all the dedicated staff at both airports who efficiently facilitated the journey of over 37 million passengers throughout the year. Demand for travel remained exceptionally high at both airports, and it was gratifying to witness Cork Airport achieve the three million passenger milestone for the first time since 2008. We have ambitious plans for Cork Airport's continued growth and eagerly anticipate revealing the details of our new masterplan soon, which will further support Cork's position as Ireland's fastest-growing airport.”
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