A €45MILLION Government funding announcement under the Regional Airport Programme 2026-2030 has heralded good news for Shannon Airport.
Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien this Wednesday (February 25) announced the multi-million funding plan, which will provide €45m in capital investment and €9m in capital supports to a broadened scope of Irish airports currently serving up to three million passengers per year.
Airports currently meeting the three million passenger threshold include Shannon, Ireland West (Knock), Kerry, and Donegal.
The programme aims to “support connectivity and balanced regional development” and “maximise the use of existing capacity across regional airports”, not implicitly expand passenger capacity.
- External Walls: Up to €8,000 Grant
- Attic: Up to €1,500 Grant
- Cavity Walls: Up to €1,700 Grant
- Internal Dry Lining: Up to €4,500 Grant
Shannon welcomed the announcement, with Shannon Airport Group CEO Ray O’Driscoll saying the move “represents a strong endorsement of Shannon’s strategic importance to balanced regional development and our role in supporting sustainable connectivity for the West and Mid West”.
The Shannon CEO said the funding will “support essential upgrades and ongoing investment to ensure out airport infrastructure remains resilient and future-ready”.
“Inclusion in this programme is something we have consistently highlighted as essential to ensuring that Shannon Airport can continue to deliver on its full potential for the country,” an airport spokesperson added.
Clare TD Cathal Crowe, chair of the Shannon Airport Oireachtas Group, said the announcement was a “major boost” for Shannon, noting that “because of the growth of the airport, it found itself outside of the total passenger numbers that would have qualified it for State aid funding. Now, with the raising of this figure, it means it will become eligible again.”