Both Dublin and Cork airports saw record passenger numbers in March with 2.48 million and 181,000 passengers travelling through each airport respectively, according to airport operator daa.
A total of 2.48 million passengers went through Dublin Airport in March.
That marked an increase of 30,000 more passengers than the number which went through in the previous busiest March in 2019 and 33% higher than in March 2022.
This is the third consecutive month of record passenger numbers at the country's biggest airport.
A total of 1.23 million passengers arrived at Dublin Airport last month and 1.25 million passengers left from Dublin.
For the first three months of the year, a total of 6.65 million passengers went through Dublin Airport, which the daa said is 102% of 2019 levels.
Meanwhile, around 485,000 people are set to pass through Dublin airport this Easter weekend, making it the busiest weekend of the year so far.
At Cork Airport, the daa said that March has followed the trend set in January and February, with the airport reporting an impressive performance.
The daa said that March passenger figures at Cork Airport reflect a 10.4% increase on the same time last year and a 4.6% increase on March 2019.
Cork Airport is set to welcome a total of 2.5 million passengers over the course of the full year.
The busiest destination from both airports was London Heathrow.
"Our busiest St Patrick's Day period in four years, combined with lots of other big sporting and entertainment events taking place, resulted in a really busy March at both Dublin and Cork airports," daa CEO Kenny Jacobs said.
"ACI Europe, our industry body, is reporting that passenger levels across Europe are generally down 12% when compared to 2019, so international travel to and from Dublin and Cork airports has now recovered and is exceeding pre-pandemic levels," Mr Jacobs said.
He said this is largely driven by flights to and from Continental Europe and transatlantic routes, followed by leisure demand and significant capacity expansion by the daa's Irish based airline partners.
He noted that Dublin Airport is also back as Europe's fifth largest transatlantic hub.
Meanwhile, as part of its ongoing sustainability effots, Dublin Airport started a HVO (hydrogenated vegetable oil) trial as an alternative fuel source for vehicles in the airport's light and heavy fleets.
HVO fuel, which is made from waste renewable materials such as vegetable oils, can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 90% compared to diesel and can also contribute to improved air quality.
Pending the trial outcome, daa said it will seek to transition light and heavy vehicles in the airport's fleet to the new fuel source.
