Six per cent rise in passenger passing through Irish airports in 2025

In 2025, 43.5 million passengers passed through Irish airports, the highest number of passengers since they began in 2013, according to the CSO.

Six per cent more passengers used Irish airports in 2025, compared with 2024, and 4.3 million more than in 2023.

When it came to the number of flights both to and from Irish airports, this year rose by 6%, compared to 2024.

Dublin handled 83% of these flights, which accounted for 245,554, with Cork handling 8% of flights at 23,881.

The most popular routes for passengers travelling through Dublin were Amsterdam-Schiphol, Manchester and London-Heathrow.

The most common routes for Cork and Shannon were London-Heathrow, with Knock and Kerry’s most popular being London-Luton.

In terms of air freight, Irish airports handled 9% more than in 2024, which accounted for 208,887 tonnes.

Damien Lenihen, Statistician in the Transport Section of the CSO said: “The figures show a significant increase in international travel during 2025.

“In fact, 2025 was a record year in terms of the number of passengers using Irish airports since the series began in 2013, with 43.5 million passengers travelling through at least one of the five main airports in the country.

“Data shows that passengers travelling to and from Ireland were up by 6% compared with 2024.

“More than 1.2 million more passengers travelled to Ireland in 2025 when compared with 2024, and this was 2.1 million more passengers when compared with the same period in 2023.

“In 2025, 21.8 million passengers departed from Ireland, which was 1.3 million more than the same period in 2024, and 2.2 million more passengers when compared with 2023.

“In October, November, and December (Q4) 2025, 10.1 million passengers passed through Irish airports, which was 972,455 more passengers when compared with the same period in 2024 and 1.1 million more than the same period in 2023.”