Passenger numbers passing through Shannon Airport over the Christmas period are expected to drop by almost 86% on 2019 levels as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact at airports in Ireland and around the world.
A spokesperson for Shannon Group said that just over 10,000 passengers are expected to travel through the airport this Christmas.
This compares to over 70,000 the same time last year.
Just three Ryanair services will operate from Shannon over the Christmas period with flights to and from Stansted, Manchester and Wroclaw.
"2020 has been a really challenging year for the aviation and tourism sectors. Airports in Ireland and globally have been feeling the brunt of the pandemic," the airport spokesperson said.
"Passenger numbers at Shannon Airport for the first 11 months of 2020 are down 79% at just over 347,000 compared to over 1.6 million over the same period in 2019.
"While the planned roll-out of the vaccine is very positive news, recovery for the aviation sector will be slow," the spokesperson added.
Shannon Airport will be the only airport in Ireland to be operational on Christmas day.
"While we won't be able to have our usual Christmas experience, our staff have readied the airport for passengers and will give them the renowned Shannon Airport welcome," the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the onsite Covid-19 private testing centre at the airport, run by RocDoc, has introduced extended operating hours for testing due to demand.
