Roscommon Herald
Richard Canny
11 Feb 2026
Forty years ago this May, Knock Airport officially opened in the face of scepticism in some quarters about the viability of such an ambitious venture in a location famously described as a “foggy, boggy hill”.
Passenger numbers that year in 1986 were just over 9,000 but since those small beginnings, Ireland West Airport has become an incredible success story for the region.
Over the last four decades, it has experienced exponential growth and in 2025, it was Ireland’s fastest-growing airport, with passenger numbers reaching 946,381.
Eighty per cent of that passenger traffic is to and from Britain, routes that built the foundations of the airport’s success at a time when the country was racked by an economic depression and mass emigration.
The airport now serves 21 international destinations and is served by three of Europe’s major international airlines - Aer Lingus, Lauda Europe, and Ryanair...
Ireland West Airport still flying high 40 years on - News - Roscommon Herald - 11 Feb 2026
