Ireland West Airport Knock, in partnership with Ryanair, officially launched Ryanair’s biggest summer and winter schedules from the airport in the Knockranny House Hotel in Westport recently. This year Ryanair will fly to a record 16 destinations from Ireland West Airport Knock, and for the first time carry a milestone of 580,000 passengers from the airport – an 11 per cent increase on 2013 figures. In recent weeks Ryanair launched the three exciting new services to Glasgow (Scotland ), Kaunas (Lithuania ), and Eindhoven (Netherlands ). In addition Ryanair has increased capacity by 20 per cent of its London Luton and Stansted services, adding 50,000 new seats in 2014, providing increased choice and day return options for business, leisure, and VFR passengers in the west of Ireland and the London market.
Speaking at the launch, Ryanair’s head of sales and marketing, Peter Bellew, said: “Ryanair is delighted to celebrate record growth at Ireland West Airport Knock with 16 routes and 580,000 passengers for 2014. Ryanair’s three new routes to Eindhoven, Glasgow Prestwick, and Kaunas as well as additional frequencies on two London routes will deliver over 80,000 additional passengers, making 2014 Ryanair’s busiest year ever at the airport. Consumers and visitors to Ireland already choose Ryanair for the lowest fares, great route choice, and our industry leading customer service. Now they can also book their flights on our improved website, carry a free small second carry-on bag, enjoy allocated seats, and use their personal electronic devices at all stages of their flight, making Ryanair the ideal choice for families and friends booking a flight from the west of Ireland. We also have a new smartphone app, family and business products coming soon, as Ryanair continues to deliver so much more than just the lowest fares.”
Joe Gilmore, managing director, Ireland West Airport Knock, added: “I am delighted to welcome the Ryanair team to Mayo to officially launch our biggest ever summer and winter schedules. Mayo is the airport’s biggest market with over 100,000 passengers from Mayo using the airport annually, and a further 150,000+ visitors from overseas using the airport to visit the Mayo region yearly. We thank Ryanair for their continued confidence and support for the airport and the west and northwest of Ireland over the last 28 years, and furthermore as the main international western gateway for the Wild Atlantic Way, we would hope tourism providers in the Mayo region benefit significantly from these new and additional services to ensure they are a success and are maintained for the longer term.”