Just 175,000 passengers passed through Knock Airport in Co Mayo last year as Government Covid curbs continued to hit travel.
Ireland West Airport Knock said 2021 was the second year running in which fewer than 200,000 people travelled through the facility.
In 2020, when State restrictions shut down travel for much of the year, Knock airport handled 143,000 people.
Last year’s total was just 21 per cent of the record 807,000 passengers that the airport handled in 2019, the year before the pandemic struck.
New services
Ryanair announced new services to British destinations from Knock last year while Aer Lingus restarted flights in December following a 20-month absence.
In 2021 the airport began work on upgrading its runway, designed and built a new arrivals hall, and boosted other amenities.
Chairman Arthur French predicted that 2022 would be challenging but said the resumption of Ryanair and Aer Lingus flights gave grounds for optimism.