Dublin Airport passengers hit 29m so far this year

September delivered record-breaking traffic and surging transfers

In the first nine months of the year, Dublin Airport passengers reached almost 29 million, new data shows.

According to new figures, the Irish capital's airport handled 3.34 million passengers last month, level with the same month last year.

For 2026, that brought the nine-month total to just under 29 million, which is a rise of four per cent on 2025.

So far this year, Terminal 1 carried around 17.4 million passengers, with another 11.6 million through Terminal 2.

The five busiest routes in September were Heathrow, Amsterdam, Manchester, Malaga and Gatwick.

And if you're thinking about following the Malaga crowd, there's up to 71% off a relaxing 4-star Irish hotel break.

Or, for those staying closer to home, a discount on a 4-star Killarney hotel stay with late checkout.

Why Dublin Airport passengers are at record highs

This month, Dublin Airport logged its three busiest-ever September days, while Sunday 13 September topped them all.

That day, some 128,600 people passed through the two terminals, 4% above the previous high.

Transfer traffic jumped 37% on last September, as more passengers connected onward through Dublin's network.

Meanwhile, routes to North America carried 493,000 passengers in September, three per cent up on a year earlier.

Over the same month, UK traffic rose two per cent.

An Aer Lingus Airbus A330 airplane arrives at Los Angeles International Airport from Dublin in January 2026. Credit: Getty Images

What Dublin Airport's boss said about the surge in travel

Dublin Airport's managing director, Gary McLean, said September capped its busiest-ever summer.

He revealed that since the end of May, nearly 15 million passengers used the two terminals.

"Passenger demand was supported by a number of notable events, including Ireland's EU Presidency, which continues to bring politicians and delegates from all over the world to Ireland," McLean said.

"Golf was also a big driver of September's numbers, with thousands of golf fans flying in from around the world for the Walker Cup and Irish Open at Lahinch and Doonbeg respectively. The return of business and student travel after the summer also helped drive demand."

The airport's managing director also pointed to continued strong demand on transatlantic routes, as per RTÉ.

McLean also flagged the need to further upgrade the airport's US preclearance facility.

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