Dublin Airport: A Hub To Many Destinations

Dublin Airport is Ireland's main aviation gateway, delivering unrivalled global connectivity for the country. With an all-island catchment area, the airport connects passengers directly to over 185 destinations in 42 countries on 5 continents. It is the largest airport in Ireland and the 13th busiest airport in Europe. In 2023, Dublin Airport facilitated the journeys of 32 million passengers, making it the airport's busiest year on record.

Dublin Airport's terminals, facilities and transport options

Dublin Airport, located in Collinstown, 7 km north of Dublin, is the largest airport in Ireland. It is the 13th busiest airport in Europe and the busiest airport in Ireland, with over 34.6 million passengers passing through in 2024, making it the airport's busiest year on record. The airport has two terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, from which flights depart to 184 destinations with 45 airlines.

Terminal 1, which opened in 1972, was designed to handle five million passengers per year. It has been regularly extended and improved over the last two decades, with the addition of new piers, food and retail outlets, and gates. Terminal 1 is home to a variety of airlines, including Ryanair, the largest airline at Dublin Airport in terms of the number of departures.

Terminal 2, which opened in 2010, is a 75,000 m2 terminal that can handle up to 15 million passengers annually. It is the primary terminal for Aer Lingus, which has developed a hub at Dublin Airport for travel between Europe and the United States. Terminal 2 also houses several other airlines, including American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, and United Airlines.

Dublin Airport offers a range of facilities for travellers, including luggage storage, shopping, Wi-Fi and charging stations, and a prayer room. The Loop at Dublin Airport features a variety of shops, from iconic Irish brands to international names. The airport also has a multi-faith room in Terminal 2 and a church called Our Lady Queen of Heaven, which holds daily mass.

In terms of transport options, Dublin Airport is accessible by bus, taxi, car, bicycle, or on foot. It is served by over 1,000 buses and coaches daily, connecting to Dublin City Centre and other areas in and around Dublin, as well as towns and cities across Ireland. Taxis are available from the forecourts outside both terminals. For those travelling by car, there are parking options available, and car rental companies located onsite or nearby. Additionally, Dublin Airport is within walking and cycling distance for those who prefer a more active mode of transportation.

The airport's history and development

The Airports History and Development

Dublin Airport officially opened on 19 January 1940 at 9:00 am. On its opening, an Aer Lingus Lockheed 14 flight bound for Liverpool departed from what was then known as Collinstown Airport. The airport had been under development since the late 1930s, with a terminal building and grass runways constructed on the Collinstown site. The terminal building was designed by Desmond FitzGerald, an architect and elder brother of the former Taoiseach, Dr Garret FitzGerald. The building's curved design, with its tiered floors, was inspired by the lines of a great ocean liner, and it won multiple architectural awards.

By 1947, flights from Dublin Airport had expanded to Continental Europe, with the Dutch airline KLM starting the first European service to the airport. In 1950, a decade after it opened, the airport had been used by 920,000 passengers. By the late 1950s, the original terminal could no longer handle the growing number of passengers, leading to the opening of the North Terminal in June 1959.

In the 1960s, new departure gate piers were added near the old terminal to accommodate larger aircraft. However, it soon became apparent that the original terminal building was no longer adequate for the increasing passenger demand. Construction began in 1971 on a new terminal building designed to handle six million passengers annually. This new £10 million terminal opened in June 1972.

Dublin Airport has continued to expand over the years, with the addition of new terminals, departure gates, runways, and taxiways. In November 2010, Terminal 2 opened, allowing the airport to handle over 30 million passengers per year. Today, Dublin Airport is the busiest airport in Ireland and the 13th busiest in Europe, with over 34.6 million passengers passing through in 2024, making it the airport's busiest year on record.

Airlines that fly from Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport (DUB) is the largest airport in Ireland, with flights to 184 destinations and 45 airlines offering scheduled passenger traffic. The airport is located in Collinstown, 7km from Dublin city centre, and is the 13th busiest airport in Europe.

The following airlines fly from Dublin Airport:

• Aegean Airlines
• Aer Lingus
• Air Baltic
• Air Canada
• Air France
• Air Transat
• American Airlines
• Aurigny
• Blue Islands
• British Airways
• Croatia Airlines
• Delta
• EgyptAir
• El Al
• Emirates
• Etihad Airways
• Eurowings
• Finnair
• Fly One
• Iberia
• Iberia Express
• Icelandair
• JetBlue
• KLM
• Loganair
• Lufthansa
• Luxair
• Norwegian Air Argentina
• Norwegian Air Intl
• Norwegian Air Shuttle
• Qatar Airways
• Ryanair
• Ryanair UK
• SAS
• Star Air
• SunExpress
• Swiss
• TAP Portugal
• Transavia France
• TUI
• Turkish Airlines
• United
• Vueling
• WestJet
• Wideroe

Destinations

The most frequently departed route from Dublin Airport is to London Heathrow, with an average of 115 flights each week. The airport also offers domestic flights to Donegal and Kerry County. The two longest flights from Dublin are to Los Angeles (11 hours, 15 minutes) and San Francisco (11 hours).

Destinations from Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport is located around 7 km north of Dublin city centre and is the largest airport in Ireland. The airport has two terminals, with Terminal 1 being the main terminal for domestic flights and Terminal 2 being used for international long-haul flights.

Dublin Airport is served by 45 airlines, connecting passengers to over 185 destinations across 42 countries on 5 continents. These include destinations in Europe, such as Amsterdam and Brussels, and further afield, such as Abu Dhabi and New York.

In 2023, the airport facilitated the journeys of 32 million passengers, making it the 13th busiest airport in Europe and the busiest in Ireland. The airport has an extensive short and medium-haul network and a significant long-haul network focused on North America and the Middle East.

To get to the city centre from Dublin Airport, travellers can take a taxi, bus, or airport shuttle. The standard taxi fare to the city centre is around $25, while the Airlink bus costs $6 for a one-way ticket and the Aircoach costs $7.

Passenger numbers and statistics

Dublin Airport is Ireland's largest and busiest airport, serving as a gateway to the country and handling the island's largest traffic volume. In 2024, it recorded its busiest year, with over 34.6 million passengers, and it is also Europe's 13th busiest airport. The airport has two terminals, covering 100,000 sq. metres each, and a vast catchment area, partnering with 45 airlines to connect passengers to a vast network.

Dublin Airport offers flights to 184 destinations in 42 countries across five continents, with recent additions including Boston, New York, and Bacau. The airport's most popular route is to London Heathrow, with 461 flights scheduled for the next month, followed by Gatwick with 355 flights. Other busy routes include Amsterdam, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, and Charles De Gaulle Airport.

The airport's extensive short, medium, and long-haul networks are served by a variety of carriers. It serves as a hub for Aer Lingus and is the home base for Europe's largest low-cost carrier, Ryanair. British airline TUI Airways also operates from the airport. The number of airlines and destinations has grown over the years, with 45 airlines now flying from Dublin to 237 airports worldwide, as of February 2024.

Passenger numbers at Dublin Airport have generally increased over the years, with a significant jump from around 11.6 million in 1998 to over 23.4 million in 2008. There was a slight dip during the pandemic, with 115 routes lost, but numbers have been recovering, with 32 million passengers in 2023, and the airport exceeding its 32 million passenger cap in December 2024.

Frequently asked questions