Shannon has exceeded expectations to record a profit

The Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar said yesterday that the independent Shannon Airport has exceeded his expectations to record a profit in its first year of operation.

The airport was formally separated from the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) to go it alone in January of last year and recorded a marginal increase in passenger numbers to 1.4m in its first year after five years of passenger decline.

In Shannon yesterday, Shannon Group chairwoman Rose Hynes confirmed she presented a “report card” to Mr Varadkar on the airport’s first year performance that showed that the airport recording a small profit.