Kerry Airport is gearing up for another year of growth in 2026, with passenger numbers in 2025 on course to exceed 430,000 for the first time.

The Spring/Summer schedule will be launched in January with increased frequency on routes to sun destinations in Spain and Portugal with Ryanair.

The Chief Financial Officer at Kerry Airport, Basil Sheerin, said the airport’s continued growth has been driven by the professionalism of their staff, with strong performances across fuel sales, retail and car-parking.

He noted the full benefits of the new Arrivals Hall and extended Departures Area will be seen in 2026.

According to Mr Sheerin, the main challenges in 2026 will continue to be attracting new airlines and routes.

He said: “A lack of aircraft availability is still a problem for airlines, and the expansion of fleets is considerably behind forecasts. Administrative expenses remain a challenge, with increased costs in wages, local authority rates, energy, and maintenance exerting pressure on our gross profit margin.”

He added that Kerry Airport continues to monitor these areas rigorously to ensure optimal value for money.

Kerry Airport today contributes more than €18 million annually to the local economy and supports over 135 direct jobs, including countless others in tourism, transport, and service industries that depend upon their success.

Between now to the end of March 2026, Kerry Airport will handle 59 flights per week from Dublin, London Stansted, London Luton, Manchester and Frankfurt Hahn.

Joseph O’Connor’s latest novel, The Ghosts of Rome, has been named the overall An Post Irish Book of the Year 2025.

The announcement was made during a special television broadcast on RTÉ One hosted by broadcaster Oliver Callan. The book, which previously won ‘The Last Word Listeners’ Choice Award’ at the An Post Irish Book Awards, was selected as the overall winner by a panel of judges chaired by author Paul Howard.

The Ghosts of Rome is the second instalment in O’Connor’s Escape Line Trilogy. It follows the success of the first book, My Father’s House, which has sold over 150,000 copies in English. Both novels reached the Number One spot on the Irish bestseller charts within days of their release.

Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty
The trilogy is inspired by the extraordinary true story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, known as the ‘Vatican Pimpernel’.

Though born in County Cork, O’Flaherty was raised in Killarney, attending the local Monastery school.

During World War II, O’Flaherty used his position in the Vatican to coordinate an ‘Escape Line’, a secret network that smuggled over 6,500 Allied soldiers and Jews to safety from Nazi-occupied Rome.

Despite constant threats from the Gestapo and a bounty on his head, he operated from the steps of St Peter’s Basilica, providing refugees with food, money, and false papers.

Joseph O’Connor is currently working on the final book of the trilogy.

While The Ghosts of Rome continues to dominate bestseller lists, fans will have to wait until early 2027 for the conclusion of the series.