Over 307,000 passengers travelled through Kerry Airport last year, an increase of 4 per cent on 2014, according to the regional airport’s annual results announced earlier Monday.
Gross and operating profit was also up at the airport in Farranfore which has regular connections to Germany's Frankfurt-Hahn, London-Stansted and London-Luton, as well as summer connections to Alicante in Spain and Faro in Portugal. All are operated by Ryanair.
The subsidised daily regional connection, in place until 2018, the so called PSO Kerry to Dublin route, operated by Aer Lingus Regional, saw passenger numbers increase by 20 per cent, and the passenger load factor on the route go up from 56 per cent to 67 per cent.
This however is still behind the 75 per cent load target for theregional route and airport chairman Denis Creegan has warned that going forward those passenger numbers will not only have to be maintained, but grow.
Airport management were approaching the carrier to increase flight frequency and so give a better service.
The Kerry-Dublin flight "interlines" with the Aer Lingus and Ethiad Airways which means baggage can be booked straight through to and from nine US cities, as well as cities in Australia, and the Middle East.
Maximum
London-Stansted and London-Luton routes were also up slightly and the twice weekly German route was reaching its maximum, and the airport is looking at putting on extra flights on that route. New destinations as well as new airlines, were being pursued Mr Creegan said.
Turnover was down 5 per cent from €6.0 million to €5.8million due to fall in fuel sales but other elements of the Airport’s trading activities grew by 9.3 per cent giving an overall 8 per cent increase in gross profit year on year.
Some €505,000 euro was spent during the year on upgraded security facilities and firefighting equipment, with the support of funding from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
Other notable factors were Government operating grant allocated to the airport for 2015 under the regional airport’s programme for 2015-2019 was €311,000 which was down from €507,000 the previous year.
Overall growth in tourism was felt to have accounted for the increase in passengers with expectation that 2016 will continue the trend.
Commenting on the financials and the on-going operations of the airport for the year, Denis Cregan, chairman of Kerry Airport said:
“The year 2015 showed a welcome return to positive passenger growth with of plus-4 per cent increase year on year. We continue to explore and pursue new destinations, and new airlines, as well as holding discussions to increase frequencies to our existing destination with our current carriers. We have intensified our activities in this area recently but we expect results will have a long lead-in time.”
The agm is being held on June 22nd at noon at the Earl of Desmond Hotel in Tralee.