daa reports 5% passenger growth and higher turnover for first half of 2026

Dublin and Cork airports handled 19.6 million passengers in the first half of 2026. That is one million more than in the same period in 2025, a rise of 5%, according to the operator daa.

Group turnover rose 5% to €561.9 million, producing a profit after tax before exceptional items of €72.9 million. The company called its commercial performance across the airport portfolio resilient.

Revenue at daa's international businesses grew 13% in the period, helped by a good half year in Saudi Arabia and a new contract secured in Vietnam. Its subsidiary ARI won the travel retail contract at Terminal 4 at New York JFK Airport, extending its presence in North America.

Capital expenditure across the group reached €153 million in the first half. Spending covered airfield infrastructure, passenger facilities, food and beverage offerings and operational resilience at Dublin Airport, along with continued work on Cork Airport's €200 million multi-year investment programme.

Gary Owens, chair of daa, said demand for travel through the airports remained strong and reflected Ireland's connectivity and the importance of aviation to the economy. He said the international businesses were exporting Irish airport management, operational and commercial expertise to markets worldwide.

Owens added that daa is entering a period of significant investment.