Dublin Airport Authority has reported a 1.5 million increase in passenger numbers in 2014 compared to the previous year - the highest increase since 2007.
However, the State company, responsible for Dublin and Cork airports, recorded a 50 per cent decrease in post-tax profits, due mainly to an exceptional €21 million charge to its long-running pension dispute.
Excluding the payment, profit after tax was up 41 per cent to €40 million across the two airports, compared to 2013. Turnover rose by 13 per cent to €564 million.
DAA chief executive Kevin Toland said that progress had been solid in the year with passenger numbers on the rise in Dublin. Dublin Airport is now the third fastest growing airport in Europe.
“Last year Dublin was the number twenty airport in Europe and it was the sixth fastest growing airport within Europe,” said Toland.
In Dublin alone, passenger numbers grew by eight per cent, to 21.9 million, up 1.5 million. This increase saw record highs for transatlantic and long haul traffic, as well as transfers.
Cork, mainly due to a number of routes being transferred to Shannon, saw traffic drop five per cent to 2.14 million passengers in 2014, an issue which Toland remained confident will be addressed.
The DAA have said that returning Cork to stability and increasing traffic in the airport is its main focus this year. So far this year, passenger numbers are up 15 per cent across the two airports.
