Minister of State at the Department of Transport Jack Chambers TD has announced funding for regional airports.
Details
According to a statement published on Gov.ie, during a visit to Shannon Airport, Minister Chambers announced capital funding, under the Regional Airports Programme 2021-2025, of over €10.63 million supporting Shannon, Donegal, Knock and Kerry airports. These allocations will contribute towards capital investment in the areas of safety and security at airports, while also supporting projects with a sustainability focus.
From within this allocation, more than €4.6 million has been allocated to Shannon Airport.
Additionally, despite not being eligible for supports under the programme in 2023, €6 million is being provided, in principle, to the Cork Airport for the commencement of a significant CAT 3 security screening project in 2023. The project is currently being assessed by the department in line with the Public Spending Code.
The statement published on Gov.ie quoted Minister Chambers as saying, "I am pleased to be back in Shannon Airport today. Shannon Airport is the state's third busiest airport, welcoming over 1.5 million passengers last year, which represents an 88% recovery on 2019 passenger traffic. I am delighted to hear that the airport is well on track for another busy year in 2023. Already this year, the number of passengers travelling through Shannon Airport during January and February were up by 21% and 17% respectively compared to the same periods in 2019. This demonstrates the effective delivery of services, by the dedicated staff and management team who deliver for passengers on a daily basis, in meeting the extremely strong demand for international travel."
The statement published on Gov.ie also quoted Minister Chambers as saying, "I am delighted to announce this funding today, which will support significant airfield rehabilitation works at Shannon Airport this year, as well as three new passenger airbridges. This will bring the number of new airbridges supported by way of Exchequer funding at Shannon Airport to six since 2021. Security screening equipment upgrades are also being supported, along with the continued support for water supply system upgrade works. Continuing to assist Shannon Airport in transitioning to a low carbon economy, support for the replacement of four airport operational vehicles with electric vehicles is being provided. This builds on the seven safety, security and operational vehicles already replaced at the airport by way of Exchequer funding in the past two years.
"Today;s announcement is a very positive day for the sector and demonstrates Government’s sustained commitment to the aviation sector, with 2023 promising to be a year of growth and increased connectivity at our regional airports."
Grant Allocations
The amount of funding being provided to each airport is as follows:
| Airport | Grant Allocation |
| Donegal | €586,604 |
| Ireland West (Knock) | €5,000,541 |
| Kerry | €419,988 |
| Shannon | €4,623,486 |
| Cork | €6,000,000 |
| Total | €16,630,619 |
Read More: Ireland West Airport Knock Commences Its Summer Schedule
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