Shannon Traffic Reaches 3.3 Million in 2005

Following a year of strong month-on-month growth, total passenger traffic at Shannon Airport in 2005 has exceeded 3.3 million, representing 900,000 passengers more than in any previous year. The key terminal traffic figure reached 2.6 million- a 35% increase on 2004. This increase positions Shannon as Ireland’s fastest-growing major airport in percentage terms.

Within the important international segment, the largest and fastest-growing market is the U.K. A total of 1,163,000 passengers have traveled on U.K. routes during the year- a 67% increase on the 2004. European services have carried 656,000 passengers- 48% ahead of 2004 and Transatlantic routes performed well with over 713,000 passengers, a 3% increase and the highest ever annual total at Shannon for this key market. And in a difficult year for air cargo, Shannon’s flown throughput for the year, at 29,500 tonnes, mirrored the 2004 volumes.

Airport Director Martin Moroney said: “The record passenger traffic out-turn for 2005 is confirmation of Shannon’s attractiveness to the fast-growing Low Cost Carrier sector as well as to our traditional airline customers. The expanding choice of routes and reducing levels of air fares currently available here is having a major impact on passenger numbers as well as on the geographic spread of airport users. Along with maintaining high levels of customer service at Shannon’s user-friendly terminal, we intend to continue to develop the airport’s route network along with our partner airlines in order to encourage further growth. The change to the Ireland-U.S. Air Services Agreement announced in late 2005 will mean that from November 2006 a less favourable regulatory regime will apply from Shannon’s perspective. However we are confident that we can maintain a significant share of a growing Transatlantic market through a combination of support for the existing routes and efforts to develop new services”

In looking forward to the current year, he added: “With new routes being announced recently for 2006 commencement to Manchester, Murcia, Rome and Wroclaw with Ryanair and to New York JFK with Delta Air Lines, as well as additional services to Atlanta with Delta and to Newark with Continental Airlines, I am confident that another year of healthy traffic growth is in prospect. Tourism and business interests will again be the major beneficiaries of what we expect to be a second consecutive year of record Shannon traffic.”

ENDS.

9th January 2006

Further Information Contact:
Eugene Pratt        
Acting External Relations Manager      
Shannon Airport    
Tel: +353 (0)61 712352          
Mobile: +353 (0)87 2453865      
Email: Eugene.pratt@shannonairport.com