SHANNON Airport has recorded a strong first half of 2026, welcoming 1.17 million passengers.
The 12% increase on the same period last year is being driven by an expanded route network, increased capacity and sustained demand for travel from the Clare airport.
The airport also recorded its busiest day in 17 years on Sunday 28th June, when 11,400 passengers travelled through Shannon, reflecting strong peak-season demand. This represents a 22% increase on the busiest day of last year.
Ray O’Driscoll, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group, commented on the increase, saying “Growth at Shannon Airport is being driven by real demand, supported by new routes and more choice for passengers, reflecting the confidence of our airline partners and the strength of the region as a tourism and business destination”.
“Our focus now is on capitalising on this momentum by continuing to grow connectivity and deliver a high-quality experience for passengers travelling through Shannon”, he continued.
The result follows a strong performance in 2025, when Shannon Airport welcomed 2.3 million passengers. Growth in the first half of 2026 has been driven by an enhanced route network as Shannon now has 40 services to destinations across Europe, the UK and the United States, the highest number in 17 years. With 2 million seats available, the airport’s Summer 2026 schedule is one of its most extensive in years. New routes for this year include Rome, Warsaw, Poznan, Madrid with Ryanair, and Frankfurt with new airline partner Discover Airlines.
This year has also seen increased capacity on a range of popular routes, with additional frequencies to Manchester, Alicante, Barcelona Reus, Lanzarote and Malta with Ryanair. Transatlantic services have also expanded, most notably on Aer Lingus’ Boston route which has increased from 7 to 10 flights per week from May to July.
Over 420,000 seats have been offered by the airport’s transatlantic services so far this year, including direct services to New York (JFK), Newark, Boston and Chicago. These routes are operated by Aer Lingus (New York JFK and Boston), United Airlines (Chicago and New York JFK) and Delta Air Lines (New York JFK). These routes support both business and tourism travel as well as increasing Clare’s overall connectivity.
A key advantage for passengers travelling to the United States is Shannon’s US Preclearance facility, which allows travellers to complete immigration and customs before departure and arrive in the US as domestic passengers, saving time and enabling smoother onward connections.
As passenger numbers continue to grow, Shannon Airport’s role as a strategic international gateway and engine for economic activity remains increasingly important.
