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2017 A record year at Ireland West Airport
Chairman’s message
2017 has proven to be another positive year at
Ireland West Airport with passenger numbers
reaching 750,000 for the first time, surpassing
the previous record of 734,000 passengers
achieved in 2016.
The growth in passenger numbers in 2017 was
fuelled by a very strong performance across
the range of UK services with an extra 18,000
passengers travelling to and from the UK in
2017, which represented a 3% increase on 2016
numbers. Passenger numbers using Flybe’s
services to Birmingham and Edinburgh reached
record levels whilst Aer Lingus recorded the
highest number of passengers using their
London Gatwick service since the route started
in 2009.
Flights to continental Europe also continued to
perform strongly, with over 100,000 passengers
availing of flights to a range of European
destinations such as Alicante, Barcelona,
Malaga, Lanzarote, Milan, Tenerife and the Costa
Dorada service with TUI Ireland.
2017 also saw the airport commence work
on a €15m facilities investment programme
aimed at transforming the airport over the next
three years. The investment strategy will see
over €15m invested in new passenger facilities,
terminal upgrades and infrastructural works
across the airport facility and runway. By the
end of the first quarter of 2018 almost €4m worth
of major infrastructural projects, to improve
the operational efficiency and to upgrade and
enhance the airport’s facilities and services, will
have been completed.
As we look ahead to 2018, the year has already
got off to a positive start with the announcement
of a new service to Palma Majorca with TUI
Ireland, which will commence in June 2018. In
addition Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline,
announced they would be adding an extra
16,000 seats on their services to Birmingham,
Edinburgh and Manchester in 2018 and Ryanair
have increased capacity on their Milan service
by 35%, adding an additional 3,500 seats for
summer 2018.
Finally, I would also like to say a special word
of thanks to the staff at the airport for their hard and regional development perspective. We are
work and continued focus on ensuring the
customer and passenger experience through
the airport is both a safe and welcoming one.
Joe Kennedy
Joe Kennedy
Chairman
A message from our shareholders
Kevin Kelly, Chief Executive, Galway County
Council, Board member, Ireland West Airport
The local authority shareholders are pleased
to welcome another record year for passenger
traffic at the airport. Reaching a milestone of
750,000 passengers for the first time is a very
positive development. The continued growth in
numbers using UK services in particular is very
welcome and important from a tourism, business
pleased also to be working very closely with the
airport and Minister Ring’s department under
the Rural Economic Development Zone (REDZ)
initiative in further enhancing the promotion of
the region across the airport facility through the
introduction of new regionally themed branding
and digital platforms at the airport.
Furthermore we look forward to the opening later
this year of a new innovative and state of the art
Visitor Discovery Centre in the arrivals area of
the airport which will showcase the attractions,
experiences, local arts and crafts and musical
talents that the counties in our region have to offer,
providing a great Céad Míle Fáilte for overseas
visitors as they arrive into the West of Ireland.