Dublin Airport has reported that a record 1.2 million Northern Ireland residents used the airport during 2015, an increase of 37% on the previous year.
It also recorded around 1 million overseas residents using the airport in 2015 to travel to and from Northern Ireland. The significant increase was due in part to expansion of the airport's route network with 23 new services and extra capacity on 40 existing routes last year.
Dublin Airport’s chief communications officer Paul O’Kane said: "Passengers from Northern Ireland love the choice, convenience and value that Dublin Airport offers with its extensive long-haul and short-haul route network and high frequency connections to a huge number of destinations. Our surveys also show that Northern Ireland passengers are impressed with the quality of the passenger experience and the facilities at Dublin Airport."
The survey revealed that half of Northern Ireland residents used Dublin Airport for holiday trips last year, with 26% flying from Dublin on their main holiday and a further 24% using Dublin for an extra holiday, with business travel accounting for 11% of trips. It also showed that their favourite destinations were the United Kingdom, United States, Spain, Germany and France.
O'Kane added that "the connectivity that Dublin Airport offers is excellent and is growing every year. This year, Dublin Airport has direct flights to more than 180 destinations in 40 countries".
