Passenger numbers show first sign of improvement

THE number of commercial flights at Shannon dropped by 10% in the first quarter of this year, compared with the first three months of 2012 but it’s understood that terminal passenger numbers (those whose journey began or ended at Shannon) actually grew last month, the first sign of improvement in recent years.

 

It’s understood the decline in flight movements over the three months was largely due to a dip in the number of US military flights stopping at the airport, rather than a decline in the numbers actually flying to and from Shannon.

In 2012, Shannon had just 1.4 million passengers, making it the quietest year since 1988 and it was way down on the record highs of the previous decade. While the number of flights in the first three months of 2013 are disappointing, there will be hopes that the improvement in passenger numbers seen in March can be sustained in the months to come.

The amount of commercial movements in January of this year was 10.7% down on the same month last year, while in February it was down by 17%. However, last month the decline was far smaller, just 2.9%, with 1,324 movements, compared with 1,364 the previous year.

In the first three months of 2012, there were 3,862 commercial movements at Shannon but in the first quarter of this year, the figure was 3,478.

In a statement about its performance in the first three months following independence, a spokesman for Shannon said, “We are really pleased with our start as an independent entity. The early months of the year are always the most challenging for airports but the first quarter this year has been about starting the process of rebuilding Shannon now that we have our independence.

“It has been an excellent start, with an array of new services already secured, confirming the growth potential there is for Shannon and we intend to deliver a lot more in that regard in the years ahead.

“The services secured have already seen us return to growth in terms of terminal passenger numbers and between now and the first week in June alone, just seven weeks away, we will have a further six new services coming on stream, as well as a range of seasonal services returning and additional capacity on other popular routes. This will be a significant boost to passenger numbers and, importantly, for passenger options at Shannon.

“One of our big tasks now is to work with the airlines to make sure there is renewed awareness of the wide range of services available at Shannon when people go to book their flights.”