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Total flights in Irish controlled airspace during 2010 amounted to 513,236. This is 3% down on 2009 but 14.5 % down on 2008 which was the peak year for air traffic in Irish controlled airspace. Traffic levels in 2010 are representative of those achieved in 2004. The economic downturn continues to impact on performance but additionally, in 2010, the ash cloud crisis and adverse weather conditions impacted negatively on air traffic. Trends in recent months however, provide optimism that growth will return in 2011.

The annual percentage change in total traffic levels in Ireland are as follows;                                                                                                           

On a European basis, EUROCONTROL noted in their latest Short term forecast for flight movements, that total European traffic growth has been largely neutral during 2010 at 0.7% growth and that a recovery in traffic levels has been less than uniform across Europe with flight growth concentrated in a few States, and on a few traffic axes. Since the previous EUROCONTROL forecast, Turkey and Germany have been the States adding most traffic to the European network with Italy at times not far behind. The outlook for 2011 across Europe; forecasts a growth rate of 3.6%, with Ireland expected to see growth of 6.5% in commercial traffic movements.

The Authority's trend analysis notes that both Enroute traffic movements and North Atlantic Communications flights for Ireland are both respectively only 5.4% and 4.8% above comparable figures for 2005, due to the factors mentioned above. The annual percentage changes, in traffic, in these areas are as follows;

However, the most significant reduction in traffic levels has occurred in commercial terminal movements at the State airports in Ireland, which are 12.2% down on 2009 but 20% below comparable figures for 2005, and have been mostly severly affected by the economic downturn and other factors mentioned above. The annual percentage change in commercial traffic at the three State airports is as follows.                            

The drop in commercial terminal movements for the three State airports between 2005 and 2010 can be analysed as follows; 

• Commercial terminal traffic at Dublin at 153,101 movements in 2010 is down by 9.4% on 2009 and 11.6% on 2005.
• Commercial terminal traffic at Shannon airport at 18,771 movements in 2010 is down by  32.2% on 2009 and 45% on 2005.
• Commercial terminal traffic at Cork at 23,626 movements in 2010 is down by 9% on 2009 and 31% on 2005.

Note: 

The IAA receives no funding from the exchequer. The revenues of the Authority are generated through charges and fees raised from its airline customers and regulatory clients in respect of its operational and regulatory activities.