Ireland West Airport has welcomed the announcement of funding of €1.8m for the airport under the Public Policy Remit Operational Expenditure Subvention (PPR-O ) Scheme.
Funding provided under the Regional Airports Programme contributes towards vital safety and security operations at the airports such as air traffic control, fire services and security, ensuring airports can continue to remain compliant with regulatory requirements in these areas.
Passenger numbers at Ireland West Airport in 2023 are expected to reach record levels of in the region of 815,000 passengers, which will be a new milestone for the airport. This comes as welcome news following the devastating impact of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 where annual passenger numbers collapsed to under 200,000 passengers annually.
“Welcoming the funding announcement, Arthur French, Chairman, Ireland West Airport, said ‘I wish to acknowledge Government’s continued support for the airport and in particular, Minister for the Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport,
Minister Eamon Ryan TD, and Minister of State Jack Chambers TD, attending Cabinet, in the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment, Climate & Communications. Both Ministers have taken the opportunity this year to visit the airport and see the significant progress that has been made in recent years.
“I also wish to acknowlege our Local Authority shareholders, TDs and other political representatives and the Western Chambers for their continued strong support for the airport during the year.
“This support has enabled the airport to recover strongly from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m pleased to say we are forecasting a record year for passenger numbers, which is testament to the very strong support from the entire region and beyond for the airport. The launch of three new services this year has been particularly pleasing with the arrival of our new daily service to London Heathrow with Aer Lingus, providing a major boost for the region. “We look forward to continuing to work with Government and regional stakeholders in driving the airport’s growth and development plans into the future,” he said.
