Recent Years
Since 2003 flag-carrier, low-cost and regional airlines including Aer Lingus, MyTravelLite, Bmibaby, Ryanair, Aer Arann, flybe, Lufthansa and EasyJet have added several routes linking the airport with UK and European mainland destinations and though not all routes have proven successful, by 2005 the airport was handling 500,000 passengers per annum.
Knock was voted Ireland's best regional airport in 2006 and again in 2009 by the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland.
2007 was a notable year for the airport, with scheduled transatlantic services to New York and Boston commencing during May 2007, operated by the now defunct airline Flyglobespan.
In 2008 a record 629,000 passengers used the airport, a 13% rise compared to the previous year.
The installation of the Category II Instrument Landing System in April 2009 has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of flight diversions to other airports due to poor visibility conditions, a problem which had affected the airport since its opening due to its location 200 metres above sea level.
In recent years Ryanair has grown operations and is the largest airline to serve the airport with 14 scheduled routes. Ryanair commenced a service to Alicante in June 2009, the airport's first scheduled continental European service. Ryanair added Faro and Reus (Barcelona) routes in May 2010.
August 2009 was the busiest month at the airport for three years, with 81,000 passengers using the airport. Also, the 28th of August was the busiest day in the airport's history with over 4,500 passengers using the facility on that day.
In 2011, the month of August was the busiest in the airport's history with 84,052 passengers using the facility. 2011 was the most successful year to date with a record 654,553 passengers using the airport. The year saw the commencement of new scheduled sun routes to Lanzarote, Tenerife and Gran Canaria operated by Ryanair as well as a new route to Edinburgh operated by flybe.
During September 2011 Ryanair celebrated the airline's 4 millionth passenger through the airport while Lufthansa announced it would be commencing weekly flights between Düsseldorf and Knock from May 2012.
In November 2011 Ryanair announced further expansion from the airport with flights to Beauvais-Tillé, Frankfurt Hahn, Bergamo-Orio al Serio and Girona-Costa Brava airports scheduled to commence in March 2012. In January 2012 news of the 20th scheduled route from the airport was announced with flybe adding a service to Leeds, their third from the airport, also scheduled to commence in March 2012. In May 2012 budget carrier BmiBaby anoucced that it was to axe its only route between Ireland West Airport Knock and Birmingham from June 10th due to the airlines takeover by IAG.
Read more about this topic: Ireland West Airport Knock
Famous quotes containing the word years:
“The years go by in single file;
But none has merited my fear,
And none has quite escaped my smile.”
—Elinor Wylie (1885–1928)
““Seven years and six months!” Humpty Dumpty repeated thoughtfully. “An uncomfortable sort of age. Now if you’d asked my advice, I’d have said ‘Leave off at seven’Mbut it’s too late now.””
—Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898)