April was another record month for passenger numbers at Dublin Airport, with a total of 2.83 million passengers travelling through during the month, according to airport operator, daa.
The numbers passing through Dublin Airport were marginally higher (+0.7%) than the 2.81 million passengers who passed through in the previous busiest April in 2019 and up 18% from 2.39 million in April 2022.
In the first four months of 2023, just shy of 9.5 million passengers have passed through Dublin Airport.
At Cork Airport, the state’s second busiest airport, passenger numbers in April totalled 250,030 representing a 30% increase on April 2022 and a 19% increase on April 2019.
Given the significant uplift in passenger traffic, Cork Airport has revised its 2023 passenger forecast upwards, with 2.6 million passengers expected to fly to and from Munster’s best-connected airport this year, which would see Cork Airport back to pre-pandemic passenger levels.
daa CEO Kenny Jacobs said: “The April figures were buoyed by a very busy Easter period which saw record numbers travelling through Dublin Airport. Once again it was a very smooth month for our security operation, with 96% of passengers safely through screening in 20 minutes or less. The busiest day of the month at Dublin Airport came on Friday May 28 as thousands availed of the start of the long Bank Holiday weekend to make a trip overseas, with around 50,000 passengers departing that day.
“The month of May is set to be busy too at both Dublin and Cork airports, as we see large numbers travelling for big events, including the culmination of the football season in the UK, a number of big rugby matches including the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals in Dublin, as well as the beginning of the summer concert season, with a string of big gigs set to take place starting with Bruce Springsteen this weekend.”
“The resumption of key summer services at Cork Airport, including those to destinations such as Frankfurt, Germany; Dubrovnik, Croatia and a new route to Bristol, UK provides even more choice for passengers at the busiest and best-connected airport serving the South of Ireland. The resumption of these services also offers Continental European and UK holidaymakers the opportunity to directly access the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East and all that Munster and the South of Ireland has to offer from Cork Airport.”
