According to new data published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the number of people handled by Ireland's five main airports decreased by 92.9% year-on-year to 419,000 in the first quarter of 2021.
The number of people handled by Ireland's five main airports was also down by 94.4% compared with Q1 2019.
Ireland's five main airports are Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Knock and Kerry airports.
According to the new CSO data, Dublin Airport accounted for 96.7% of all air passengers handled by Ireland's five main airports during the first quarter of this year.
Number Of Flights Handled
The CSO data shows that a little more than 9,000 flights were handled by Ireland's five main airports in the first quarter of 2021, with Dublin accounting for 88.3% of all flights (7,949) and Shannon accounting for 6.1% of all flights (545).
Most Popular Routes
The most popular routes for people who travelled through Dublin Airport in the first quarter of 2021 were Amsterdam-Schiphol, London-Heathrow and Paris-Charles de Gaulle, according to the CSO data.
Most Popular Countries Of Origin/Destinations
The CSO data indicates that 87.3% of passengers who departed from and arrived to Ireland’s five main airport on international flights during the first quarter of 2021 travelled to or from Europe, with the two most popular countries of origin/destinations being the UK and Spain, while the US was the most popular country of origin/destination outside of Europe during the quarter.
Freight
According to the CSO data, Ireland's five main airports handled a total of 38,347 tonnes of freight in the first quarter of 2021, 88.4% of which was international freight.
Comparison To Q4 2020
CSO data also indicates that when seasonally adjusted, the number of people that passed through Ireland’s main airports in the first quarter of 2021 decreased by 37% compared with the fourth quarter of 2020.
Statistician Statement
In a statement published on the CSO’s website, statistician Dr. Nele van der Wielen said, "The figures show a substantial decline in international travel during Q1 2021. There were decreases in passenger numbers for January, February and March. Data for February 2021 shows a drop of 96% compared to the same month in 2020. These decreases are associated with restrictions imposed due to COVID-19.
"In Q1 2021, almost 209,000 passengers travelled to Ireland and 210,000 passengers departed from Ireland. These numbers represent a fall of 93% in the number of passengers arriving to or departing from Ireland, when compared to the same period in 2020.
"The amount of air freight handled by the main airports increased by 3% to 38,347 tonnes in the first three months of 2021 when compared with the same period in 2020."
© 2021 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
