Transport Minister, Eamon Ryan, has been urged to explore expansion opportunities for Kerry Airport.
Kerry TD Pa Daly pointed out that the facility turned a profit for 2021, which was a very difficult year, returning an after-tax surplus of €2.5 million.
“This is testament to the skill and commitment of the staff and management team there,” he said.
He said he is aware that many visitors to Kerry have been frustrated with the problems Dublin Airport is experiencing and it has cast a negative light on their trip to Ireland.
“They see the airport in Farranfore and wonder why they couldn’t fly here directly,” Deputy Daly said.
“People from Kerry naturally wish to take more flights from their own county and to utilise this fantastic resource as much as possible”.
Deputy Daly said the news on Monday morning that Kerry Airport was able to cater to three transatlantic flights, originally planned for Dublin Airport, demonstrates that it is more than capable of handling additional routes.
“Throughout the pandemic, John Mulhern and his team at Kerry Airport kept the airport operating as smoothly as possible and customers could benefit from a less stressful travelling experience than Dublin Airport.”
On Sunday Kerry Airport posted a snapshot on social media of three Boeing 737-500s landing in Farranfore.
“Happy to be of assistance to our friends from the USA. They were originally planned for Dublin,” the accompanying message read.
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