daa has reported a strong financial and operational performance for the first six months of 2026, driven by continued passenger growth and a resilient commercial performance across its airport portfolio.
A total of 19.6 million passengers travelled through Dublin and Cork airports during the first half of the year, an increase of 1 million passengers (+5%) compared with the same period in 2025.
During the first half of 2026, daa invested €153 million in capital expenditure across the Group. This included improvements to airfield infrastructure, passenger facilities, food and beverage offerings and operational resilience at Dublin Airport, together with the continued delivery of Cork Airport’s €200 million multi-year capital investment programme.
Gary Owens, Chair of daa, said, “The first half of 2026 has seen continued strong demand for travel through our airports, reflecting Ireland’s growing connectivity and the importance of aviation to Ireland’s economy. Our international businesses have also performed strongly, exporting Irish airport management, operational and commercial expertise to markets around the world.”
“Looking ahead, daa is entering a significant period of investment as we continue to expand capacity, enhance resilience and improve the passenger experience”
Delivering that investment will require a supportive regulatory framework and sustainable access to capital so that Ireland’s two busiest airports, alongside our growing international businesses, can continue to support economic growth, tourism, trade and Ireland’s global aviation reputation.
“The Board is committed to continued engagement with our stakeholders and ensuring that daa continues to operate with strong governance, transparency and accountability.”
Nick Cole, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of daa, said, “We have delivered a strong first half performance while continuing to improve services for passengers, invest in our infrastructure and support Ireland’s international connectivity. Our priority now is ensuring Dublin Airport can continue to grow and meet future demand.
“We continue to progress both the Infrastructure Application and the separate statutory process to lift the cap at Dublin Airport. Recent developments, including ANCA’s draft decision and our continued engagement in the statutory process, represent important progress towards securing the capacity needed to support Ireland’s future growth.
“The outcome of the Irish Aviation Authority’s review of airport charges for the 2027-2031 period will also be critically important. The regulatory framework must support continued investment in capacity, resilience and service quality at Ireland’s national airport.”
