News

L-R Hollie McHugh, Commercial Manager Irish Citylink, Sarah Comer, Regional General Manager Irish Citylink, , Ray O’Driscoll, Chief Executive Officer of The Shannon Airport Group and Vanessa McTigue, Commercial Director at The Shannon Airport Group. Pic Arthur Ellis

• Shannon Airport to be served directly from Galway from March 2027
• Route 251 to increase from 16 to 26 daily services overall
• Irish Citylink becomes the only commercial coach operator serving Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports

“Today’s announcement of a new partnership between Irish Citylink and Shannon Airport to deliver a new direct coach services between Galway and the airport is excellent news for our region and a significant step forward in strengthening regional connectivity.” says Shannon Chamber CEO Helen Downes.

“At Shannon Chamber, we consistently highlight the importance of connectivity as a key enabler of economic growth, investment and regional competitiveness. Shannon Airport is a vital economic asset and international gateway for the West and Mid-West. Ensuring that businesses, employees and visitors can access it conveniently is essential to maximising its potential.

“With the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor on the horizon, this investment in connectivity is particularly timely.

“It is encouraging to see Irish Citylink and The Shannon Airport Group working together to deliver practical improvements that will benefit businesses, communities and tourism across the region. Congratulations to both teams on this excellent initiative,” added Ms Downes.

As announced by Irish Citylink, from March 2027, Galway will be directly connected to Shannon Airport, with Route 251 expanding from 16 to 26 daily services. This will make it easier for people across the region to access international destinations, while strengthening connections between Galway, Shannon, Limerick and Cork.

The expanded route will provide 16 daily coach services to and from the airport. This will significantly strengthen public transport connectivity, extending access to Shannon Airport’s growing transatlantic and European route network.

Route 251 will now deliver more frequent and convenient public transport options throughout Ireland’s western corridor, helping connect people with employment, education, business and tourism opportunities. It will also provide a practical and sustainable alternative to private car travel for airport passengers.

The addition of Shannon Airport to the network means Irish Citylink will become the only commercial coach operator in Ireland serving Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports.

Sarah Comer, Regional General Manager at Irish Citylink, part of the ComfortDelGro group, said: “Shannon Airport is a hugely important economic and tourism gateway for the West and Midwest. Its continued growth creates significant opportunities for the entire region, and strong public transport connections will play an important role in ensuring communities and businesses can benefit from that growth.

“The expansion of Route 251 represents another important step in Irish Citylink’s wider growth plans and forms part of our continued investment is regional connectivity. It will significantly strengthen services between Galway, Shannon, Limerick and Cork, while complementing our extensive network connecting communities across Ireland.

“We are delighted to be working with Shannon Airport on this initiative and look forward to supporting the airport’s continued growth while encouraging greater use of public transport throughout the region.”

Vanessa McTigue, Commercial Director at The Shannon Airport Group, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Irish Citylink on a service that will extend the reach of Shannon Airport’s transatlantic and European network, making it easier for passengers from Galway, Cork and beyond to connect with services to New York, Newark, Boston and Chicago, as well as Toronto when this new route launches in 2027. This year we are operating 40 routes from Shannon Airport, across the UK, Europe and the US, our highest number in 17 years. Together with new announcements such as Ryanair’s latest service to Milan Bergamo, this offers fantastic choice for those choosing to fly from Shannon. 

“Developed in close collaboration with Irish Citylink, the timetable has been aligned with peak flight arrival and departure times to support convenient onward journeys.”

The new service comes during a period of sustained growth for Shannon Airport. More than one million passengers travelled through the airport between May and August 2026, an increase of 11.5% compared with the same period in 2025. The airport currently serves 40 routes and is set to welcome a new non-stop Air Canada service to Toronto in 2027.

The launch comes ahead of a significant year for tourism in the West and Midwest, with the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor expected generate substantial additional international visitor demand. As a key gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way, Shannon Airport plays an important role in connecting overseas visitors with some of Ireland’s most popular tourism destinations, and the enhanced Route 251 service will improve access across the wider region.

-ENDS-

 

L-R Sarah Comer, Regional General Manager Irish Citylink, Vanessa McTigue, Commercial Director at The Shannon Airport Group, Ray O’Driscoll, Chief Executive Officer of The Shannon Airport Group and Hollie McHugh, Commercial Manager Irish Citylink. Pic Arthur Ellis