In another positive 12 months for Shannon Group, passenger numbers at Shannon Airport increased for the fourth consecutive year, with over 1.74 million flying through the airport. This amounted to a 2% increase on 2015 and brings to 24% the total increase at the airport in year-on-year passenger numbers since the airport was separated in 2013.
The US market again returned positive numbers, with 396,708 flying through Shannon from its five American destinations – New York JFK, Newark, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia airports. This is a 4% increase on 2015. The UK market proved buoyant despite uncertainties around Brexit, with 758,371 passengers recorded, a 7% increase over the previous year. Meanwhile, commercial terminal flights at Shannon were up by +5.5% with an average of 45 commercial daily movements at Shannon.
2016 was also a positive year in terms of business development for the airport, with four new airlines (SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Lufthansa, Norwegian Air International and Kuwait Airways) all announcing operations at Shannon. This is the first time in 10 years that four carriers new to the Shannon schedule announced services in one year.
The year also saw the Group invest significantly in its individual businesses. Shannon Airport’s key capital spend was a €3 million investment in enhancing the Transit Lounge and European departure gates.
Matthew Thomas, Shannon Group Chief Executive, said: “If anything in 2016 we saw further evidence of just how significant Shannon Group’s influence is across a very large portion of the nation’s regional economy. Shannon Airport and Shannon Heritage are really good barometers for business and tourism activity across the wider region we serve and we saw further growth in both again last year. Shannon Commercial Properties, meanwhile, continued its record investment programme in the Shannon Free Zone, which will, we are confident, lead to significant inward investment and jobs in the years ahead.”
