Shannon Airport international passengers increased by 6 per cent last year to 3.1 million, it was reported today.
The airport said the result was particularly welcome in light of the ending of the Shannon stopover in 2006, resulting in a 4 per cent fall in transatlantic traffic.
Airport director Martin Moroney described the results as a major achievement. "We are satisfied with the 2007 performance in the context of both the ending of the dual gateway status for transatlantic services and the increasingly competitive aviation market in which we operate.
"The ending of Ireland's dual gateway status for transatlantic services resulted in a 50 per cent decline in passengers who pass through Shannon while transiting between Dublin and the US This has meant that overall traffic for 2007 was just on a par with the previous year.
"However, Shannon Airport has retained its position as the second-largest airport in the State in terms of passenger throughput and attracted more than twice the combined throughput of all the regional airports," he said.
He said the airport management will continue to work on route development and attracting new airlines to the airport.