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Published 9 Sept 2026
Shannon Airport (IATA: SNN) serves as Ireland's gateway to the Mid-West region and is the westernmost international airport in Europe. It operates Ireland's longest runway at 3,199 meters, and is distinguished by its full U.S. Customs and Border Protection Pre-Clearance facilities, allowing passengers to arrive in the United States as domestic travelers.
How many passengers pass through Shannon Airport each year?
Shannon Airport handles over 2 million passengers annually, marking its strongest performance in 15 years and establishing it as Ireland's fastest-growing airport in the post-pandemic recovery period.
- Shannon Airport processed 2.24 million passengers in 2025, a 9% increase from 2.05 million in 2024 and the highest figure recorded since 2009.
- The airport recorded 1.90 million passengers in 2023, a 34% increase.
- The pre-pandemic peak occurred in 2018 with 1.68 million passengers, before declining to 1.62 million in 2019 due to Boeing 737 MAX groundings.
- The COVID-19 pandemic caused passenger numbers to collapse to just 273,585 in 2020, representing nearly an 83% decline.
- Recovery accelerated in 2022 with 1.42 million passengers, a 340% increase from pandemic lows.
Arrivals vs Departures
Shannon Airport maintains a near-perfect balance between arriving and departing passengers, characteristic of an origin-destination airport rather than a major transit hub.
- Arriving passengers totaled 1,123,924 in 2025, compared to 1,115,744 departing passengers.
- The balance remained consistent in 2024, with 1,028,517 arrivals and 1,022,314 departures.
| Flow of Passengers at Shannon Airport (2019-2025) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Arrival | Departure |
| 2019 | 803,878 | 812,544 |
| 2020 | 137,585 | 136,000 |
| 2021 | 160,405 | 161,757 |
| 2022 | 711,830 | 710,127 |
| 2023 | 952,713 | 944,886 |
| 2024 | 1,028,517 | 1,022,314 |
| 2025 | 1,123,924 | 1,115,744 |
What is the total number of aircraft operations at Shannon Airport each year?
Shannon Airport records over 15,000 total aircraft operations annually.
- 2025 operations totaled 16,124 takeoffs and landings, a 9% increase from 2024’s 14,825 operations.
- The airport reached 13,151 movements in 2019 before dropping to 4,461 in 2020 and 4,836 in 2021 due to pandemic-related reductions.
- The post-pandemic recovery brought operations up to 11,980 in 2022, followed by 14,998 in 2023.
Arriving vs Departing Flights
Shannon Airport shows an almost even split between arriving and departing flights.
- The airport handled 8,094 arriving flights in 2025.
- Departures were slightly lower, totaling 8,030 flights.
| Flow of Aircraft at Shannon Airport (2019-2025) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Arrival | Departure |
| 2019 | 6,568 | 6,583 |
| 2020 | 2,240 | 2,221 |
| 2021 | 2,387 | 2,449 |
| 2022 | 5,986 | 5,994 |
| 2023 | 7,568 | 7,430 |
| 2024 | 7,437 | 7,388 |
| 2025 | 8,094 | 8,030 |
Which airlines operate the most flights out of Shannon Airport?
Shannon Airport's operations are led by a mix of low-cost and international carriers, with Ryanair as the dominant airline.
- Ryanair offers flights to 32 destinations.
- Aer Lingus operates 4 routes, mainly focusing on premium and long-haul travel.
- United Airlines ranks third with 2 routes.
What are the monthly trends in passenger traffic at Shannon Airport?
Passenger traffic is highest between May and October, with each of these months exceeding 200,000 passengers in 2025.
- August was the busiest month, with 254,703 passengers, followed by July (251,252) and June (232,085).
- The lowest volumes were in January (117,909) and February (119,911).
How many routes are there at Shannon Airport?
- In early 2025, Shannon Airport maintained a strong flight network, offering 36 summer routes across 11 countries.
- Later in the year, the airport introduced 6 additional routes to its schedule.
Which destinations are the most popular from Shannon Airport?
Shannon Airport’s most popular routes reflect its strong UK links, essential transatlantic service, and rising European leisure travel.
- London routes were the most traveled in 2025, with 666,362 passengers across three airports: London-Heathrow (296,561), Stansted (244,006) and Gatwick (125,795).
- Transatlantic traffic totaled 235,046 passengers, with New York-JFK drawing 130,105 travelers and Boston serving 104,941 passengers.
- European destinations continued to expand, with Manchester handling 100,497 passengers and Kraków serving 93,318.
How much cargo does Shannon Airport handle annually?
Shannon Airport handles over 16,000 tonnes of cargo each year.
- The airport processed 16,022 tonnes in 2025.
- Before the pandemic, the airport recorded 12,658 tonnes in 2019.
- Despite the pandemic, cargo volumes increased to 15,500 tonnes in 2020.
- The growth continued with 15,766 tonnes in 2021 and 17,173 tonnes in 2022.
- Volumes slightly declined to 16,752 tonnes in 2023 and 16,631 tonnes in 2024.
Arriving vs Departing Cargo
Shannon Airport handles more inbound freight than outbound freight.
- Shannon Airport handled 8,959 tonnes of arriving cargo in 2025.
- During the same period, departing cargo totaled 7,062 tonnes.
| Flow of Cargo at Shannon Airport (2019-2025) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Arrival | Departure |
| 2019 | 6,393 | 6,265 |
| 2020 | 7,460 | 8,040 |
| 2021 | 8,266 | 7,500 |
| 2022 | 9,512 | 7,661 |
| 2023 | 9,003 | 7,749 |
| 2024 | 9,437 | 7,194 |
| 2025 | 8,959 | 7,063 |
How much revenue has Shannon Airport generated each year?
Shannon Airport generates approximately €60-80 million in annual revenue.
- In 2024, revenue reached €73.1 million, a 7.7% increase from €67.9 million in 2023.
- Before the pandemic, the airport earned €79.1 million in 2019.
- Revenue fell to €34.3 million in 2020 and €34.5 million in 2021.
- It recovered to €60.7 million in 2022.
Related Travel Statistics
What are the notable incidents at Shannon Airport?
- April 15, 1948: Pan Am Flight 1-10, a Lockheed Constellation, crashed on approach, killing 30
- February 26, 1960: Alitalia Flight 618, a Douglas DC-7C, crashed into a cemetery after takeoff, killing 34
- September 10, 1961: President Airlines Flight 7, a Douglas DC-6B, crashed into the Shannon River estuary, killing 83
- March 1, 1999: A Channel Express Lockheed L-188AF landed gear-up, causing major damage but no fatalities
- July 17, 2011: An Aer Arann ATR 72-212 had a nose gear collapse during landing in strong crosswinds, with no fatalities among 25 onboard.
Other Relevant Facts Related to Shannon Airport
- Shannon Airport ranked #1 in travel for customer experience excellence.
- The airport is the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, and the fifth busiest on the island of Ireland.
- The airport has only 1 runway:
- 06/24: 3,199 meters long.
- The airport has 40 check-in desks, five baggage carousels and 14 boarding gates (including six airbridges).
- There are nearly 20 aircraft parking stands.
References
- Knock Airport Aviation Statistics — Central Statistics Office · cso.ie
- Airlines Flying from Shannon Airport · flightconnections.com
- Shannon Airport Annual Financial Report · snnairportgroup.ie
- Aviation Safety Network — Notable Incidents at Calgary Airport · asn.flightsafety.org
