Dublin Airport officials hope that new services will stimulate passenger numbers again this year, following a strong performance in 2014.
The latest figures show that 21.7 million people travelled through the airport last year – 1.5 million (or 8 per cent) more than in 2013.
Figures show that 2014 was a record year for transatlantic flights, with growth reaching 14 per cent, or circa 260,000 additional people, to reach 2.1 million.
The airport's managing director, Vincent Harrison, said new routes to San Francisco, Toronto, and St John's Newfoundland aided in generating this growth.
Tourism bodies are hoping for an even more successful 2015, as airlines plan to launch 14 new services in the next few months. These include Aer Lingus flights to Washington, a United Airlines service to Chicago, Icelandic carrier Wow’s service to Reykjavik, and Spanish low-cost operator and IAG subsidiary Vueling, flying to Barcelona.
"We have six new continental European services for this year, three new transatlantic services, three new UK services and two new services to Africa," Harrison was quoted as saying in the Irish Times.
The Dublin Airport Authority is hoping to further fortify its role as a transatlantic conduit: in 2014, 750,000 passengers, mainly from Britain and continental Europe, used the airport to transfer to flights to North America.
"This summer, Dublin Airport will have 158 departures a week to North America, making it Europe's sixth largest airport for transatlantic connectivity," Harrison added.
