More than eight million travelers utilized the five primary airports in Ireland during the first quarter, as reported by the Central Statistics Office.
In the opening months of 2025, a total of 8.2 million travelers swarmed through Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Knock, and Kerry, Ireland's main airports. This number showed a 20,000-passenger decline compared to the same period in 2024.
Latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) data reveals a 2% slowdown in flights to and from Irish airports, decreasing from 59,309 to 57,970 flights in the initial three months of the year compared to the previous year [1].
The CSO report indicates that Dublin accommodated an overwhelming 83% of all flights (48,351), followed closely by Cork with 8% (4,737) [5].
When it comes to international passenger routes, London-Heathrow, Amsterdam-Schiphol, and Manchester reigned supreme for flights passing through Dublin Airport. Similarly, London-Heathrow held the top spot for both Cork and Shannon airports, with London-Luton being the preferred route for Knock airport [2][3][5].
Noteworthy, approximately 88% of international passengers in the five main airports were headed to or returning from European destinations [4]. Among these, the United Kingdom and Spain remained the most popular countries of origin or destination. Stepping beyond Europe, the United States of America stood out as the leading non-European connection [4].
Dublin Airport showcases a diverse network of over 170 direct flight destinations, boasting an increasing number of new transatlantic routes to the United States. For instance, United Airlines operates two daily flights between Dublin and its Newark hub, using Boeing 777-200ER and 757-200 aircraft. Additionally, WestJet launched a direct flight from Dublin to St. John’s in Canada for the summer of 2025, adding a new transatlantic connection to Newfoundland [3].
In addition to London-Heathrow, Cork Airport introduced new routes in 2025 to destinations such as Corfu, Bilbao, and Turkey. Shannon Airport, on the other hand, unveiled a service to Madeira in 2025. Ireland West Airport Knock primarily focuses on the London-Luton route, while Kerry Airport's most popular international connection is to Dublin Airport [2][3][5].
These insights shed light on the robust European connections available through Irish airports and the increasing presence of transatlantic routes, particularly from Dublin [3][1][2][5].
The slowdown in flights between 2024 and 2025, as indicated by the CSO report, affected all sectors of the transportation industry, potentially leading to changes in finance (airlines, airport operations, and related businesses). In the realm of lifestyle, this decline in travel might alter the choices of people planning trips, with the United States of America and European countries, particularly the United Kingdom and Spain, still dominating as preferred travel destinations.
