The Government has announced almost €108 million in direct Exchequer supports to the airports of Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Ireland West (Knock), Kerry and Donegal.
The funding is being administered under the Regional Airports Programme 2021-2025, the Covid-19 Regional State Airports Programme 2021, as well as the Covid-19 Supplementary Supports Scheme for Irish Airports recently approved by the European Commission.
Dublin Airport will receive almost €80m, while Cork will receive nearly €14m and Shannon just over €10m.
Of the €108m in funding, €15 million is provided under the Regional Airports Programme and the Regional State Airports Programme.
This is targeted at safety and security operations at the airports, such as air traffic control, fire services and security.
"I fully recognise the devastating impact that Covid has had on our regional airports," said Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton.
"This is why I am delighted to announce that the operational funding of €15 million will cover 100% of the cost of all eligible expenditure at Shannon, Cork, Donegal, Knock and Kerry airports in 2021 under the Scheme.
"This will go a long way towards enabling these airports to remain financially sustainable as they move beyond this current crisis and into 2022," she added.
The remaining €93 million is being provided under the Supplementary Supports Scheme to Irish Airports, which includes an allocation of almost €3m under Phase 2 of the overall €26 million Supplementary Supports package approved by Government in November 2020.
€23 million under this package was allocated previously during July this year.
The additional €90 million under this scheme, announced by Government in October and approved by the EU Commission on 3 December, is also being allocated today.
The Government said the funding has been allocated to each airport on a pro-rata basis in line with 2019 passenger numbers and calculated in accordance with the eligibility criteria of all measures under the approved State aid scheme.
Mary Considine, CEO of Shannon Group which runs the airport welcomed the funding announcement.
"The aviation sector including airports have been at the epicentre of the devastation caused as a result of the pandemic.
"As we focus on rebuilding connectivity, we warmly welcome the Government support announced by Minister Naughton through the inclusion of Shannon Airport in the Covid-19 Regional State Airports Programme 2021, and we are grateful of confirmation of final approval of the additional funding for the state airports under the Covid-19 Supplementary Supports Scheme for Irish Airports recently approved by the European Commission," she added.
