Ireland's airport connectivity still lags behind 2019 levels 

Ireland’s total airport connectivity to other countries is down 9% compared to June 2019, report finds

Figures published recently by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), show Irish airports saw more than 7.6 million passengers pass through during the first three months of the year. Picture: Denis Minihane

Despite passenger numbers through Irish airports surpassing pre-pandemic levels, Ireland’s air connectivity still lags behind levels seen in June 2019, a new report shows.

Figures published recently by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), show Irish airports saw more than 7.6 million passengers pass through during the first three months of the year. This exceeded 2019 levels by over 186,000.

Passenger numbers up 29% in Q1 2023 compared with Q1 2020https://t.co/et1VQ3B6tP#CSOIreland #Ireland #IrishTransport #TransportIreland #Transport #Aviation #Logistics #Business #AviationStatistics #Passengers #AirTravel pic.twitter.com/r8H2FNp0QJ

— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) June 16, 2023

However, according to the Airports Council International (ACI) Europe Connectivity Report 2023, Ireland’s total airport connectivity to other countries is down 9% compared to June 2019.

The report said air connectivity in Europe is down 16% overall compared to pre-pandemic levels, at a time when passenger numbers have largely recovered and there is pent-up demand for flights from consumers.

This means travellers from European airports continue to see fewer options.

Only five national markets have exceeded pre-pandemic levels of connectivity. These include Turkey, up 19%; Cyprus, up 17%; Bosnia-Herzegovina, up 8%; Albania, up 7%; and Greece, up 4%.

Europe’s largest markets have all lost significant ground and have yet to fully recover. The UK’s connectivity is down 10%, Spain is down 12%, with Italy and France down 16% and 17% respectively. Germany is down 27%.

Among the biggest drops are Czechia, down 44%, and Finland, down 40%.

As a result of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine has lost all commercial air connectivity, with its airspace and airports closed.

The international sanctions in response to the war in Ukraine have led to significant losses on total air connectivity for Belarus, down 82%, and to a lesser extent for Russia, down 34%.

Olivier Jankovec, director general of ACI Europe, said the pandemic along with the war in Ukraine “have clearly challenged the resilience of air connectivity”.

“These are changes which appear to be systemic and quite possibly here to stay. Alongside this, the climate emergency is bringing the societal role and value of air connectivity into question.” 

The report also shows post-pandemic recovery patterns shaping the connectivity performance at both national level and at individual airports. These are driving structural changes, with significant divergences between direct and indirect/hub connectivity.

Direct connectivity has mostly recovered, only down 4%, compared to indirect connectivity which is still down 22% and hub connectivity which is still down 25%.