WORLD ROUTES: Dublin Airport Grows Transfer Traffic to Record Levels

Dublin Airport is continuing to dramatically grow its transfer traffic, and is solidifying its position as a significant transatlantic transfer hub. Transfer traffic at Dublin increased by 34% to more than half a million passengers in the first eight months of this year, and will set a new record this year.

“We’re delighted with the robust performance of the transfer market so far this year” said Dublin Airport Managing Director Vincent Harrison. “Working with our airline partners we’ve specifically targeted transfers as a growth segment for Dublin and our strategy is paying dividends. In August, for the first time ever, we welcomed more than 100,000 transfer passengers in a single month.”

Speaking to The HUB at WorldRoutes, Harrison said that the strong performance of transfer traffic this year followed a record year for transfers at Dublin in 2013. “Last year, transfer traffic at Dublin increased by 36%, with just under 550,000 passengers using Dublin as a transfer hub and to have continued that rate of growth into 2014 has been hugely pleasing”.

Dublin Airport’s medium term goal is to grow its transfer traffic to two million passengers per annum. Harrison said that Dublin Airport’s geographic position between Europe and North America, its strong continental European and UK route network and the ability to clear all US Customs and Immigration checks prior to departure on US-bound flights combined to create a unique selling point for Dublin as a transfer hub.

“We are the only major airport in Europe with US pre-clearance facilities and this summer, all of our US-bound flights pre-cleared at our purpose-built CBP facility in Dublin offering our customers an unrivalled travel experience.”

Dublin Airport is winning transfer traffic from Britain and continental Europe, which is then feeding onto its expanding transatlantic network. This summer, Dublin Airport is seventh largest airport in Europe for services to North America, with 268 flights per week (134 weekly departures) between Dublin and 13 separate destinations in the United States and Canada.

Transatlantic capacity at Dublin was up 17% this summer, with new direct Aer Lingus services to San Francisco and Toronto, a new year-round service to Toronto with Air Canada rouge and a new Westjet service to St John’s Newfoundland.