Ireland West Airport expects further passenger growth in 2025

Last year was a landmark one at Ireland West Airport with a record 834,000 passengers using the facility, and managing director Joe Gilmore says staff are excited about the prospect of hitting the one-million passengers per year mark in the coming years.

However, he said the most important priority for the airport is to continue to remain sustainable and called for renewed government support for a series of capital projects in the coming years costing around €38 million.

“We’re employing around 180 staff with an additional 60 or 70 on-site from other companies so about 250 overall at the airport,” Mr Gilmore told the Western People. “We’re a sizeable business and the main focus is that whatever we’re doing here is sustainable.” 

Ireland West Airport now serves 22 international destinations and is used by three major European airlines, Aer Lingus, Ryanair and Lauda Europe.

“We want to ensure that the route network is the best we can offer and that the routes we offer are supported by the needs of the region," explained Mr Gilmore. "That network is performing very well and it is pleasing to see Heathrow, a route we launched in 2023, having a strong year last year and continuing to grow.” 

The passenger growth forecast for 2025 looks positive with the addition of a new inbound service from Groningen in the Netherlands while Ryanair is increasing capacity at the airport by 15%, including on popular tourist destinations such as Alicante, Malaga and Faro.

“We are adding just one new route to Groningen for this coming year but we are also getting more frequency on existing services that we know there will be demand for,” said Mr Gilmore. “We’d like to be able to add more routes and we’re very confident this coming year will be another positive year and we could see strong numbers.” 

In addition, a joint effort between the airport, its seven local authority partners, Tourism Ireland and trade representatives from the region was carried out last year to promote the Wild Atlantic Way at networking events in Cologne and Milan, and this is expected to continue to yield positive results in the coming years with both cities serviced by regular flights from Ireland West.

“We want to make sure we continue to have a strong position with our main airlines, Ryanair, Aer Lingus and Lauda Air, and see what additional business we can get on the airline side," said Mr Gilmore. “Our objective is to get to that 1,000,000 mark but there are challenges beyond that in terms of infrastructure so the key issue for us is sustaining.”

Almost €7 million was spent at the airport on safety, security and infrastructural projects last year as part of the Airport Transformation Programme. This included a major upgrade of the airport’s electrical infrastructure, including upgrading runway lighting and rewiring the air traffic control tower, the purchase of new fire engines, runway scrub removal and drainage works, runway end safety area works and more.

“Airports are capital intensive and capital hungry. People don’t always see where that money is spent but they are necessary projects for us to maintain highest safety standards and modernising our facilities,” he said.

The state's Regional Airports Programme is due for a review this year and is one of Mr Gilmore’s main priorities for the coming year.

“We’re looking forward to having discussions with the new Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien and Junior Minister Sean Canney, as well as our new Ministers Dara Calleary and Alan Dillon in Mayo.

“We’re hopeful the Government will continue to extend that Programme for a further five years and that will maintain a lifeline of investment funding into the airport.” 

In the coming years, the capital spend at Ireland West Airport is expected to be between €35m and €40m with a number of projects planned.

“The biggest of those projects will be the extension of the apron outside. We’re now at a point where we want to push ahead with that and there will be a significant spend but it is a safety expansion that will increase space,” the managing director said.

He added that much of the investment will go towards the airport’s response to the growing challenge of climate change upon air travel. 

Mr Gilmore said management and the board at Ireland West Airport are confident it can become the country’s first airport to reach zero carbon.

“There is a lot of investment that has to be ongoing as we move towards more sustainable operations. The building here is over 20 years old and there will be a big project there to reclad it, make it more airtight and install air-to-water systems.

“We have a PV Solar Farm project that has gone in for planning permission now. We have a list of projects that will help with the objective of reaching zero carbon by 2030 and we’re hoping to be the first airport in the country to reach zero carbon.”