With the major international Shannon airport right in the middle of the region and a well developed roads network, it couldn’t be easier to visit the Shannon region.
Shannon Airport is linked by direct flights to a number of countries in Europe and beyond. These include Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Portugal, Lithuania, Latvia, Belgium and France.
The following airlines fly to Shannon Airport: Aer Lingus, Aer Arann, Air Canada, American Airlines, Belavia, British Airways, Centralwings, Continental, Delta Air Lines, EasyJet, Hapag Lloyd Express, Ryanair and US Airways. Visit the websites of these airlines for more information on schedules and ticket prices. Shannon Airport was officially opened in 1945 and opened a new terminal building in 2000.
2006 was the busiest year ever at Shannon Airport according to airport management. The total number of passengers using Shannon Airport exceeded 3.6 million for the first time ever, an increase of 10% on the previous year. Shannon consolidated its position as Ireland’s second largest airport after Dublin with approximately 600,000 passengers more than its closest competitor.
In 2006 there were 14 short-haul scheduled services launched namely Bournemouth, Madrid, Edinburgh, Krakow, Vilnius, Rome, Venice, Manchester, Gdansk, Biarritz, Carcassone, Murcia, Faro and Wroclaw as well as additional frequencies added to existing routes and far busier off-peak periods. The expansion has continued this year. In May, Ryanair announced eight new routes from Shannon - Birmingham, Dublin, Fuerteventura (Canaries), Kaunas, Luton, Leeds, Riga and Tenerife.
While Shannon Airport is the most convenient way to access the Shannon region, it is not the only one. Ireland’s vastly improved roads network means that it is at most just a few hours away from all major points of entry.
The region can be reached in little over an hour from Cork Airport and ferry port, while it is about three hours from Dublin, Dun Laoghaire and Rosslare. For more information about car rental from Shannon Airport please do not hesitate to contact us.