Flights through Irish airports fall by 85% in April
Traffic through Irish airports fell by 85% last month as the Covid-19 pandemic brings air travel worldwide to a halt. The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said that just 14,907 flights were handled during the month of April when compared to the same month in 2019.
Dublin Airport recorded 2,067 flights, down 89.8%%.
Cork airport traffic saw 225 movements, down 93.9%
Shannon airport reported 364 flights, a 79.8% decrease.
There was also a decrease of 81.8% in the number of flights that pass through Irish airspace but that do not land here.
IAA Chief Executive, Peter Kearney said that while the collapse in air traffic levels has been swift and sudden, they are hopeful that the decline has reached the bottom and attention can now turn to re-opening aviation in Ireland’s interest.
He said a coordinated approach across Europe is needed to ensure that aviation can re-open and passengers can be confident both that their flight will go ahead and that risks associated with Covid-19 are minimised.
“As an island economy, Ireland is reliant on aviation for economic growth and prosperity. Aviation is an economic enabler and Ireland has become a major global player in the aviation sector. It is important therefore, if Ireland is to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and return to growth, that we have a fully functioning and stable aviation industry.
The traffic stats for April show the scale of the crisis which aviation is facing.
"However, the aviation sector has proved to be extremely resilient to downturns in the past; with the right measures in place aviation can start to re-open the world for Irish people again."
The European Commission published guidelines this week for the reopening of tourism and travel across the continent. Under the proposals, airlines and airports would insist passengers wear masks, and reorganise check-ins, dropoffs and luggage pickups to avoid crowds. They would not require that middle seats be left empty on planes, a measure some airlines say would make profitable flying impossible.
The commission also wants vouchers for cancelled flights or holidays to be valid for at least a year, with protection against bankruptcies, so people would accept them instead of demanding refunds from cash-strapped airlines and travel firms.
