Ireland West Airport

Ireland West Airport Aerfort Iarthar Éireann Mhuire
IATA: NOC ICAO: EIKN
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner/Operator	Connacht Airport Development Company Ltd
Serves	Connacht, Ireland
Location	Charlestown, County Mayo
Elevation AMSL	665 ft / 203 m
Coordinates	53°54′37″N 008°49′07″W / 53.91028°N 8.81861°W / 53.91028; -8.81861 (Horan International Airport)Coordinates: 53°54′37″N 008°49′07″W / 53.91028°N 8.81861°W / 53.91028; -8.81861 (Horan International Airport)
Website	irelandwestairport.com
Map
NOC Location of airport in Ireland
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 08/26 2,340 7,700 Asphalt
Statistics (2017)
Passengers 749,499 Passenger change 16-17 2.1% Aircraft Movements 6,022 Movements change 16-17 0.9%
Source: Irish AIS[1] Passengers[2]

Map of Ireland West Airport

Ireland West Airport (IATA: NOC, ICAO: EIKN) (Irish: Aerfort Iarthar Éireann Mhuire), officially known as Ireland West Airport Knock (Irish: Aerfort Iarthar Éireann Chnoc Mhuire)^[3], is an airport 5.6 km (3.5 miles) south-west of Charlestown, County Mayo, Ireland. The village of Knock is 20 km (12.5 miles) away. In 2017, 750,000 passengers used the airport^[4][5], making it the fourth busiest in Ireland after Dublin, Cork and Shannon.

History

The airport opened on 25 October 1985 with three Aer Lingus charter flights to Rome: the official opening was on 30 May 1986.^[6] The site, on a hill in boggy terrain, was thought by many to be unrealistic but the airport was built following a long and controversial campaign by Monsignor James Horan,^[6] the story of which has even spawned a musical.^[7] At the time of construction, the primary motivation was for pilgrims to Knock Shrine. Despite criticisms that the site was too boggy and too foggy, Monsignor Horan delivered an airport within five years, primarily financed by a Government grant of £9.8 million.^[8] Monsignor Horan died shortly after the opening of the airport, and his funeral was held at the then named Horan International Airport. In recent times, Monsignor Horan has been celebrated with a bronze statue erected at the airport.

By 1988, over 100,000 passengers had passed through. In 1995 Aer Lingus commenced flights to Birmingham.^[6]

On 1 June 2003, hundreds of people gathered to view an Air Atlanta Icelandic Boeing 747 land with 500 returning pilgrims from Lourdes.^[9]

Recent years

Apron view

Since 2003, flag-carrier, low-cost and regional airlines including Aer Lingus, MyTravelLite, Bmibaby, Ryanair, Aer Arann, flybe, Lufthansa and EasyJet have added routes to the UK and mainland Europe. Not all have proven successful, but by 2005 the airport was handling 500,000 passengers per annum.^[6]

It was voted the Ireland's best regional airport in 2006 and 2009 by the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland.^[6]

2007 was a notable year, with scheduled transatlantic services to New York and Boston commencing in May, operated by the now-defunct Flyglobespan.^[10]

In 2008 a record 629,000 passengers used the airport, a 13% rise compared to the previous year.^[6]

The installation of the Category II Instrument Landing System in April 2009 has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of flight diversions to other airports due to poor visibility – the airport is 200 metres above sea level.^[11] August 2009 was the busiest month for three years, with 81,000 passengers: 28 August was the busiest day in the airport's history with over 4,500 passengers.

In 2011, the month of August was the busiest in the airport's history with 84,052 passengers. 2011 was the most successful year to date with 654,553 passengers. The year saw the commencement of routes to Lanzarote, Tenerife and Gran Canaria operated by Ryanair and to Edinburgh operated by flybe.^[12] During September 2011 Ryanair celebrated its four-millionth passenger through the airport, while Lufthansa announced it would be commencing weekly flights to Düsseldorf in May 2012.^[13][14] In November 2011 Ryanair announced flights to Beauvais-Tillé, Frankfurt-Hahn, Bergamo-Orio al Serio and Girona-Costa Brava from March 2012. In January 2012 the 20th scheduled route was announced, flybe to Leeds, its third from the airport, from March 2012. Budget carrier BmiBaby announced in May 2012 that it was to axe its only route to Birmingham from 10 June, owing to the airline's takeover by IAG.^[15] Flights to Beauvais-Tillé and Frankfurt-Hahn have since ended.

In 2013, Ryanair launched a weekly summer route to Malaga on Thursdays. Aer Lingus Regional, which took over the Birmingham route operating a daily service using ATR 72s ended service on 26 October. Flybe began four-times-weekly flights on the route on 27 October. On 31 October 2013, in response to the scrapping of the Irish travel tax, Ryanair unveiled three new routes from Knock to Glasgow-Prestwick, Kaunas and Eindhoven. However, these routes had all been withdrawn by the fourth quarter of 2014.^[16]

On 16 August 2015, Aer Lingus operated its first transatlantic flight into the airport when carrying members of the Archdiocese of New York alongside Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York. The Archbishop of New York subsequently opened the National Novena the following week after a tour around the entire island (all thirty-two counties). The aircraft used for the flight was a Boeing 757-200.

It was announced in November 2017 that €15 million would be invested in improving and upgrading the airport in 2018 and 2019, to coincide with strong passenger growth.^[17] These plans include upgrading of car parks, passenger facilities, the terminal and resurfacing of the runway.

Government assistance

The building of the airport was primarily financed by Government grants totaling £9.858 million.^[18] The completion of the airport was funded by a £1.3 million grant from the European Union, payable on condition that the airport developers provided an equal sum from their own resources.^[19]

On 21 February 2007, the Government of Ireland announced that it was making a €27 million capital grant. The airport stated that it would continue the implementation of its €46 million infrastructural investment programme with over €20 million of spend anticipated for 2008. Work commenced on a number of significant civil and building projects in this year. A€5.5 million extension to the terminal building was completed in April 2009. An extension to the apron, that will see it more than double in size, has commenced. The implementation of Category II Instrument Landing System (CAT II ILS) on runway 27, to enhance reliability in low visibility, has been completed and approved. An extension to the Runway End Safety Areas (RESAs) and runway turnpad was completed in 2008.

Departing passengers aged 12 years and over pay a "Development Fee" of €10. The fee is highly controversial, because the "development costs" from 1986 are generally thought to have been paid off many years ago.

In 2005, the airport changed its name to Ireland West Airport Knock, and in November 2017, changed again to Ireland West Airport^[3]. As of August 2009, the Aeronautical Information Publication, including the aeronautical charts available at European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, show it as Ireland West.^[1]

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate scheduled and charter flights to and from Ireland West Airport:^[20]

Passenger statistics

Passenger numbers

Ireland West Airport passenger totals 2000-2017 (thousands)

Year	Passengers
1998	186,689
1999	197,358
2000	173,421
2001	203,000
2002	199,000
2003	247,000
2004	373,000
2005	530,084
2006	621,171
2007	556,357
2008	629,000
2009	607,228
2010	589,180
2011	654,553
2012	677,368
2013	665,558
2014	703,318
2015	684,671
2016	734,031
2017	749,499

Busiest routes

10 busiest international routes at Knock Airport (2017)

Rank	Airport	Passengers Handled	% Change 2016/17
1	London Stansted	158,854	01.2
2	London Luton	133,132	01.5
3	Liverpool	85,416	03.2
4	London Gatwick	78,329	03.5
5	East Midlands	66,003	02.3
6	Faro	34,312	00.3
7	Manchester	29,586	02.4
8	Birmingham	29,511	026.3
9	Edinburgh	29,356	050.6
10	Bristol	27,680	04.0
Source: Central Statistics Office[21]

See also: List of the busiest airports in Ireland

Ground transportation

Incidents and accidents

• On 23 March 2006, a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 "only marginally avoided controlled flight into terrain", during an approach on a flight from London Gatwick, according to the Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit. An unbriefed descent while the flight crew concentrated on reprogramming for a new approach meant they arrived over the airport at 410 ft with landing gear and flaps up. The aircraft landed successfully at a second approach attempt.^[26]

Trivia

• The construction of the airport is the subject of "Knock Song" by Irish folk singer-songwriter Christy Moore. The musical "On a Wing and a Prayer" deals with the life and times of Monsignor James Horan, focusing on his long and arduous struggle to get the airport built. It premièred in the Royal Theatre, Castlebar, on 25 November 2010.

References

External links

Media related to Ireland West Airport at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• Current weather for EIKN at NOAA/NWS
• Accident history for NOC at Aviation Safety Network