The funding will play a critical role in the airports connectivity and economic development
The latest operational funding will support payroll costs for air traffic control, fire services and security screening at the airport.
It follows the €5.66m in capital funding announced in May, which is earmarked for security system upgrades, the development of a solar PV farm, and an overhaul of the airport’s electrical infrastructure.
The capital investment also aimed to help Knock reach Level Four of the Airports Council International Airport Carbon Accreditation, which requires airports to align their carbon management with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Knock Airport continues to experience strong growth and is on track to welcome a record 950,000 passengers in 2025, alongside record revenues of an estimated €24m.
The airport, which celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, now flies to 22 destinations. Ryanair also announced this year that it has carried more than 12 million passengers through Knock since its first flight to London Luton in 1986.
Work on a Strategic Development Zone for the airport is also advancing, with planning permission already granted for an aircraft hangar and a warehouse storage facility at Knock Airport Business Park, that will form part of a new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) campus.
The Roadmap for the SDZ is expected to be published in August 2026 and will set out key funding streams and infrastructure plans.
Ryanair announced that this year marks 12 million passengers who have travelled through Knock Airport with the airline since its first flight to London Luton in 1986. Photo: Ireland West Airport.
In total, €4m was announced today under the Regional Airports Programme. Of this, €1.4m has been allocated to Kerry Airport and €700,000 to Donegal Airport.
Across all three airports, passenger traffic increased by 11pc between January and September 2025 compared to the same period last year.
Minister of State and Mayo TD Alan Dillon welcomed the funding and said it will “play a critical role in connectivity and economic development”.
“Following detailed engagement with Ireland West Airport Knock, I am committed to ensuring that this Government continues to prioritise investment in regional aviation,” he said.
Minister Dillon also confirmed that the upcoming Regional Airports Programme 2026-2030 will include a review of the current passenger cap at Knock to support “further expansion and competitiveness”.
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien, who announced the funding today, said the 2026-2030 programme is a “matter of priority for publication in the new year”.
“While today’s announcement marks the last round of funding under the current Programme, this Government has committed to continue to invest in the Regional Airports Programme and to develop a new Regional Airports Programme 2026-2030,” Minister O’Brien said.
The Regional Airports Programme provides support to Irish airports that provide scheduled passenger services and, over the previous two financial years, handle, on average, less than one million passengers annually.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.