Capacity needs to move from Dublin to regional airports, the head of Shannon Airport has said.
It comes as Mayor of Limerick John Moran criticised Ireland's “lopsided” aviation policy after he spent nearly 24 hours travelling from his home to Toulouse.
Shannon Airport Group CEO Mary Considine told Breakfast Business people want to see more choice.
"We're hearing day in and day out [that] people want more services from Shannon Airport," she said.
"Dublin Airport is a very important national infrastructure - it's our main airport - but we all know it is congested at times and there's a passenger cap.
"As a country, the Government's own ambition is for balanced economic developments."
Shannon Airport. Image: SuppliedMs Considine said Dublin Airport has capacity constraints the country’s other airports, including Shannon, do not have to deal with.
"Project Ireland 2040 calls for a balanced regional economy - airports and air connectivity are vital enablers of that," she said.
"We have the infrastructure in place, we have spare capacity.
"So, unlike many other facets of our infrastructure around the country - housing, roads, hospitals - where we're creaking at the seams, we actually have available airport infrastructure in the country".
'Infrastructure is there today'
Ms Considine said Ireland’s aviation policy needs to change to encourage airlines to fly from regional airports instead of Dublin.
"This is a real opportunity now for the country to relook at aviation policy, align it with national policy, with Ireland 2040 [and] invest in our regional airports," she said.
"When you think of it, the infrastructure is there today, it's about moving capacity.
"There's a huge amount of traffic coming into the country that's destined for the west of Ireland."
Ms Considine said people living in the Connacht-Munster region are travelling to use services "that would be better met from their local airport".
'An alternate to Dublin'
Ms Considine said Shannon Airport has seen its catchment area grow since the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Shannon has a huge amount to offer, it's a strategic State infrastructure," she said.
"We would see ourselves very much as providing resilience in the airport system and an alternate to Dublin Airport.
"We have seen, particularly since COVID, our catchment area extend as people realise how easy it is to use Shannon Airport.
"We have five daily services to the US and people all over the country realise how easy it is to get to Shannon with really good motorway access."
A total of 31.9 million passengers passed through Dublin Airport in 2023 compared to 1.95 million at Shannon Airport.
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