Shannon Airport wins Routes World “Under 5 Million Passengers” award

Shannon Airport has been named the winner in the “Under 5 Million Passengers” category at the Routes World Awards 2026.

The award was announced last night at the Routes World 2026 conference in Frankfurt, making Shannon the sole Irish airport to receive a prize at the event. It was selected ahead of Bratislava Airport (Slovakia), Cardiff Airport (Wales), Cork Airport and Halifax Stanfield International Airport (Canada).

Growth and new routes

The airport’s submission highlighted a 12 % rise in passenger numbers in the first half of 2026 and an expansion to 40 services – the highest level in 17 years. New routes added for 2026 include flights to Rome, Madrid, Warsaw, Poznań and Frankfurt, alongside increased frequencies on 12 existing services. An Air Canada service to Toronto is also slated to begin in summer 2027.

Ray O’Driscoll, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group, welcomed the accolade, describing it as “a tremendous achievement” that reflects strong airline partnerships and benefits for tourism, trade and the local community. Declan Power, Head of Aviation Development, added that the award, judged by airlines, validates the collaborative approach to route development.

Source: Limerick Post. Photo: Create Happy Minds / Pexels.