Ireland West Airport Knock

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Ireland West Airport Knock Aerfort na Connacht

IATA: NOC - ICAO: EIKN
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		Connaught Airport Development Company Ltd
Serves		Connacht
Elevation AMSL		665 ft (203 m)
Coordinates		53°54′37″N, 08°49′07″W
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	ft	m	Surface
09/27	7,546	2,300	Asphalt

Ireland West Airport Knock (IATA: NOC, ICAO: EIKN) or Aerfort na Connacht in Irish, is located near Charlestown, County Mayo, Ireland. Passenger traffic was 530,084 in 2005.

The airport was formerly known as Knock International Airport, Connacht Airport, and Horan International Airport

Connaught Aero Club is based at the airport.

1 History and landmark events
2 Airlines and destinations
- 2.1 Charter Flights
3 Ground transportation
4 External links
5 Sources

[edit] History and landmark events

The Airport opened for flights on 20 May 1986 following a long campaign by Monsignor James Horan. The airport was intended to bring employment to an impoverished corner of Ireland, as well as allow pilgrims to visit the nearby Roman Catholic Knock Shrine which commemorates an apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1879.

In June 2003 hundreds of people gathered at Knock International Airport to view a Boeing 747 land with 500 returning pilgrims from Lourdes. The aircraft stood as high as the Airport's Air Traffic Control tower. It was the second of its type to land since the airport's establishment.

The airport was voted Ireland's best regional airport in 2004 and again in 2006 by the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland.

On 18 January 2005 Mrs Margaret Mary Hawksworth from Wilmslow, Cheshire became the 3 millionth passenger to have used the airport since it first opened in 1986 and arrived on a bmibaby flight from Manchester.

[edit] Airlines and destinations

Aer Arann (Dublin)
bmibaby (Birmingham, Manchester)
Ryanair (London-Luton, London-Stansted, East Midlands)

MyTravelLite launched their Knock to Birmingham service in March 2003 and celebrated 100,000 passengers on the route in April 2004 but terminated the route in April 2005. In March 2004 bmibaby launched services to Manchester and East Midlands, the latter being terminated later. Aer Arann launched their Liverpool service in June 2004 and terminated in 2005 after losing the Dublin Public Service Obligation route. In January 2005 Ryanair and easyJet launched services from London Gatwick and bmibaby launched a service to Birmingham.

On July 26 2006 easyJet and Ryanair announced the end of their London Gatwick flights.

[edit] Charter Flights

Many holiday companies use Ireland West for chartered holiday flights. Destinations include Crete, Faro, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Malaga and Palma Majorca. A number of airlines including Spanair, LTE International Airways and Aviajet service these routes.

[edit] Ground transportation

A shuttle bus service between the airport and Charlestown (5km) links with irregular intercity and regional services of the Bus Éireann network. A new bus service between Westport, County Mayo and the airport is due to commence in August 2006. Car hire is available from numerous companies at the airport.