More than 9m people pass through Irish Airports in first three months of 2026

London-Heathrow, Amsterdam-Schiphol, and Manchester were the most popular routes for passengers travelling through Dublin Airport in the three months, while in Cork and Shannon Airports, the top route was London-Heathrow. Pic: Dominic McGrath/PA Wire

More than 9m passengers passed through Ireland's five main airports in the first three months of this year, marking an 11% rise compared to the same period in 2025. 

New figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Thursday show the overall number of flights to and from Irish airports rose by 12% between January and March of this year, compared to the same three-month period in 2025.

More than 8 in every 10 flights in the quarter were handled by Dublin Airport, with 84% in total flying through to or from the Capital. This was followed by Cork Airport, which handled 7% of all flights, equating to just over 4,700.

London-Heathrow, Amsterdam-Schiphol, and Manchester were the most popular routes for passengers travelling through Dublin Airport in the three months, while in Cork and Shannon Airports, the top route was London-Heathrow. The CSO said the top route for Knock and Kerry airports was London-Luton.

The tonnage of air freight handled by Irish airports in the quarter rose by 15% when compared with the same three months in 2025.

Speaking on the figures, David McCaffrey, aviation finance and leasing services lead for Deloitte Ireland, said: "The number of passengers using Irish airports keeps growing, show the latest figures from the CSO, and at a higher rate than the global average, according to recent figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

“The increasing number of passengers highlights a growing need for more aircraft to meet demand - this is a real opportunity for Ireland when we have such a resilient and thriving aircraft leasing industry here. It is also positive to see plans to lift the Passenger Capacity at Dublin Airport, as there is untapped potential for the Irish aviation sector.

“19 of the world’s top 20 aircraft lessors operate from Ireland, and Irish-based firms manage approximately 60% of the global leased fleet. There is real positivity in the industry."