Ireland's Airports

Most visitors to Ireland arrive by air, through either Dublin or Shannon Airports, but there are a growing number of flights from the UK, Europe and even the USA to regional airports that are worth considering as an alternative.

Dublin Airport, frankly, is hell. Overcrowded, incredibly slow moving and both difficult and expensive to get into and away from. If you can avoid it, do.

Irish Airport Guides

Dublin Airport (DUB/EIDW)
Shannon Airport (SNN/EINN)
Cork Airport (ORK/EICK)
Knock Airport (NIC/EIKK)
Belfast International Airport (BFS/EGAA)
Belfast City Airport (BHD/EGAC)
Donegal Airport (CFN/EIDL)
Kerry Airport (KIR/EIKY)
Waterford Airport (WAT/EIWF)

The Shannon Stopover

View LargeFor many years until 1993 it was only possible for transatlantic flights to land in Shannon - they were not permitted to fly to Dublin. In today's highly competitive airline market this seems ludicrous, and indeed it was.

The thinking behind the policy was that the western part of Ireland needed something to prevent all visitors and all air traffic going through the capital and that this was one way to acheive it. Certainly it did result in a lot more tourism and trade in the mod-west, but it also caused a lot of inconvenience for many passengers.

There is still a requirement that all transatlantic flights to Ireland land at Shannon - they may do so on either the inward leg of the journey before continuing to Dublin, or on the outward leg after taking off from Dublin. Which is why you may find yourself sitting on a plane, on a runway in the West of Ireland when you travel 'direct' to Dublin - check that it is really direct before you book.

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