Owned and managed by a private limited company ‘Aerphort Idirnaisiúnta Dhún na nGall Teo’, Donegal Airport is one of Ireland’s network of regional airports. It was first developed to provide easy access for business executives wishing to locate to the local industrial estate. The airport is now widely recognised as a key element of the county’s infrastructure. It is extremely important as an air access point to this most peripheral region in Ireland, to sustain existing business and for the future economic development of the entire region.
The first passenger service in 1986 was started by a small Scottish airline, Malinair, who identified a demand for a Donegal/Glasgow route mainly from what is known in the trade as the VFR market (Visiting Friends and Relations). Currently, schedule flights operate to Dublin and Scotland on a year round basis. The Dublin service operates twice daily to and from Dublin under the government’s public service obligation scheme (PSO) This service is operated by Aer Lingus Regional. The scheme provides financial assistance to airlines to provide the type and quality of air service to peripheral regions for sustained regional social and economic development.
The airport has achieved significant passenger growth rates year on year, with the growth on the Donegal/Dublin route mainly due to excellent flight times. These early morning flights out of Donegal to Dublin and evening returns from Dublin have been particularly well suited for business and commercial industries in both regions. The twice daily service suits the leisure and tourism market particularly with regard to onward connections. The service is above all seen as a lifeline for social services such as health and education.