A special celebration event was held today to mark 85 years since the first flight took off at from what we now know as Dublin Airport. A mix of current and former airport staff, airline workers, aviation enthusiasts and guests from the world of Irish aviation gathered in Dublin Airport’s original Old Central Terminal Building (OCTB) to celebrate 85 years of the airport connecting Ireland with the world.
Originally known as Collinstown Airport, Dublin Airport has grown over the past 85 years from a solitary Aer Lingus route between Dublin and Liverpool to more than 180 global destinations, served by 40+ different airlines. Since the first flight departed Dublin Airport’s single grass runway on the morning of January 19, 1940, more than 700 million passengers have flown in and out of the airport.
daa CEO Kenny Jacobs said , “Dublin Airport has come a long over the past 85 years. From starting life with a single grass runway, a terminal built to cater for 100,000 passengers per year and one twice-weekly flight to Liverpool, Dublin Airport today sits at the heart of the national economy and acts as Ireland’s national airport, catering for more than 200,000 flights and 30 million passengers per annum.
“While the look and scale of Dublin Airport may have changed hugely since 1940, its reason for being remains the same: to connect Ireland with the world and to bring people together. On this historic day, I want to pay tribute to two sets of people that have made – and continue to make – Dublin Airport such a roaring success – the 30,000+ brilliant staff who have worked for Dublin Airport over the years and, of course, our passengers – all 700 million of them who have travelled through our terminals since 1940.
Dublin Airport also plays a vital role in facilitating and growing inbound tourism, enabling Irish trade and exports and in bringing foreign direct investment into the Irish economy. Dublin Airport may be located just a few miles north of Dublin, but its impact is felt every day in all 32 counties on the island of Ireland. And while we celebrate the past 85 years, we also look forward to the next 85 – and beyond – when Dublin Airport will continue to act as a vital cog in the function of this island nation and in the lives of our fast-growing population,”
Dublin Airport: 85 years of milestones
1936 Irish Government announces plans for a civilian airport at Collinstown
1938 Work begins on the “new” original terminal building
1940 Dublin Airport opens on January 19 with a flight to Liverpool Speke Airport
1945 First Dublin Airport-London service begins to Croydon Airport
1947 KLM starts Dublin-Manchester-Amsterdam service
1948 Completion of concrete runways
1949 Passenger numbers reach 200,000 per year
1958 First scheduled transatlantic service as passenger numbers top 500,000 per year
1959 North Terminal opens
1963 Passenger numbers top 1 million for the first time
1972 Terminal 1 opens
1989 Passenger numbers reach 5 million
1990 Celebrates 50th birthday
1997 Welcomes more than 10 million passengers
2008 Passenger numbers reach a record 23.5 million
2010 Terminal 2 opens
2014 Welcomes 21.7 million passengers
2015 Celebrates 75th anniversary
2016 Passenger numbers pass 30 million for the first time
2019 Work starts on the new North Runway
2020 Dublin Airport celebrates 80th anniversary
2022 The new €320m North Runway opens on-time and on-budget
2023 A planning application – the biggest ever in State – is submitted to allow passenger numbers to grow to 40 million
2024 Passenger demand hits an all-time high, with 33.3 million passengers passing through the airport’s two terminals
2025 Celebrates its 85th anniversary
Irish Aviation Research Institute © 19 January 2024 All Rights Reserved
