Kerry Airport is “in a good place” with regard to aviation fuel and most other issues, the regional airport’s annual general meeting in Tralee has been told.
Turnover was up almost 20% with increases “across the board” in passenger numbers alongside gift, duty free and fuel sales as well as private jet business centring on traffic to the Hogs Head Golf Course in Waterville.
It is also expected the 2027 Ryder Cup in Adare will see further increase in the private jet business in Kerry Airport, the agm heard.
Passenger numbers are continuing to increase.
More than 440,000 travelled through the airport in 2025 – an increase of 5.5% on 2024.
The trend is continuing and the first six months of this year has seen a surge of 12% on the same period in 2025, the airport’s Chief Financial Officer Basil Sheerin said.
As well as strong demand on the Dublin to Kerry flights, flights to Alicante increased from four to five days a week.
There were also increases in the number of flights to Manchester and to London Stansted in 2026, Mr Sheerin said.
New routes to the Canary Islands are being touted by Kerry Airport to airlines, including Ryanair, because of what the meeting heard was “large demand to the sun destinations” in the southwest.
Increasing routes is “vital and fundamental” and meetings are being held with new providers, Kerry Airport’s new Chief Executive Adrian Neilan said.
The airport is in a strong position as load factors from Kerry Airport to such destinations are in excess of 90%, the meeting was told.
Touching on “the turmoil in the Middle East”, the company’s financial controller Basil Sheerin, responding to questions from those in attendance, said Kerry Airport is in a good place with regard to fuel stocks.
As well as being part of a number of trade associations fuel, Kerry Airport kept large stocks and it is not a concern for the coming months.
“There is not an immediate fuel crisis for European Aviation. We don’t forsee a problem,” he said.
Fuel sales accounted for €5.8 million of turnover last year.
As well as a price increase, the number of litres sold by Kerry Airport was also up this year, the financial officer said.
Turnover of €10.2 million in 2025 was up on the €8.5 million from the previous year.
Other key figures included €1.3 million from gift shop and duty free sales; €1.8 million in airport operations, including private jet business and car park income was almost €800,00 for the year.
However, the Government operational grant was central to the airport’s profitability.
Last year, the OPEX, or core government operational expenditure subvention, amounted to over €1.427 million.
The yearly OPEX covers all regional airports – Knock, Donegal, Kerry and now Waterford – and has been extended for another five years.
It will come up for renewal in 2030, the meeting was told.
Local issue
Government capital grants, known as COPEX, came to over 12.8 million for Kerry in 2025.
A local issue regarding traffic calming is high on the airport’s agenda.
The N23 national primary road passing the airport is an 80km/h zone.
There had been serious near misses recently, the AGM was told.
“These could have been catastrophic,” Mr Neilan said.
The airport was seeking a reduction of the speed limit to 50km/h.
At the meeting, two new co-options to the board of directors were approved.
Both have legal backgrounds.
Martin O’Donoghue, a commercial lawyer, is a former global head of legal affairs with Kerry Group.
Eileen O’Donoghue is a director of the Gleneagle Hotel and arena Killarney.
Ms O’Donoghue works in the Gleneagle Group’s legal department.
Chair of the board Denis Cregan in response to questions from those gathered said the airport was in the process of board renewal and was looking at broadening skillsets.
The directors of Kerry Airport were pro-bono and this could be seen as a challenge for the airport.
“No one gets paid,” Mr Cregan said.
The annual report and accounts for the 12-month period ending 31 December 2025 reported an operating profit after taxation of €840,979.
This compares to an after-taxation operating profit of €1,373,300 in the previous year.
Government grants amounted to €1,427,417.
Administrative expenses increased by 23%, driven principally by higher payroll costs, including an increase in staff numbers, inflation, local authority rates, energy costs, depreciation and maintenance expenditure.
