Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Thurs, 4 Dec) announced that it has carried 22 million passengers through Shannon Airport since it began operations to/from the airport in 1987.

Last month, Ryanair announced a record Shannon schedule for Summer 2026, delivering 1.4m seats across 30 routes, offering customers in the Midwest even more choice at Europe’s lowest fares. To support this record Shannon schedule, Ryanair will base a fourth aircraft at Shannon for Summer 2026, representing a US$400m investment from Ryanair in Midwest Ireland. This additional aircraft will deliver +180,000 additional seats (+15% growth), 4 exciting new routes to Rome, Madrid, Warsaw, and Poznań, and extra flights on 5 existing popular routes to Alicante, Lanzarote, Manchester, Malta, and Reus.

Ryanair’s full Summer 2026 schedule is available to book now at Ryanair.com, with flights to/from Shannon Airport available from as little as €29.99.

Ryanair’s Director of Comms, Jade Kirwan, said:

“We are delighted to mark 22 million Ryanair passengers through Shannon Airport since Ryanair began operations to/from Shannon in 1987. This significant milestone showcases Ryanair’s continued support and investment in the region, delivering important connectivity, traffic, tourism, jobs, and economic growth.

Next Summer, Ryanair will operate a record schedule to/from Shannon Airport, with 30 exciting routes, including 4 new routes to Rome, Madrid, Warsaw, and Poznań, in addition to extra flights to popular sun and city destinations like Alicante, Lanzarote, Manchester, Malta, and Reus. Ryanair will also base a fourth aircraft in Shannon for Summer 2026, representing a US$400m investment from Ryanair in Midwest Ireland.

This major Ryanair investment and growth at Shannon is thanks to the hard work of The Shannon Airport Group, who recognise the need for efficient, cost-competitive facilities to attract growth and drive inbound tourism to the region, supporting year-round international connectivity. However, the Irish Govt. needs to support regional airports by expanding the scope of the Regional Airports Programme 2026-30 to at least 3m passenger p.a., which would allow regional airports to grow traffic even more without being penalised for doing so.

Ryanair’s full Summer 2026 schedule is available to book now at Ryanair.com, with flights to/from Shannon Airport available from as little as €29.99.

The Shannon Airport Group Interim CEO, Ray O’Driscoll, said:

“We’re delighted to celebrate this remarkable milestone of 22 million Ryanair passengers through Shannon Airport since 1987. Ryanair has been a pivotal part of our success, connecting the Mid-West to key European destinations and supporting tourism, business, and overall regional growth.

We’re excited for what will be a record-breaking Summer 2026 with 30 Ryanair routes – the largest number ever operated by them from Shannon – including new destinations, Rome, Warsaw, Poznan and Madrid, as well as their fourth based aircraft.

Investment such as this highlights Ryanair’s confidence in Shannon’s growth, and we look forward to welcoming even greater numbers of passengers as we continue to work together to deliver more choice and excellent value for our customers into the future.”