Flights from Ireland helped to double passenger numbers at a New York state airport in recent months, reports say.
Irish-registered Norwegian Air began flying to Stewart International Airport in New York state from Belfast, Dublin and Shannon, as well as Bergen in Norway and Edinburgh, Scotland, last summer.
Stewart's business development director Michael Toreli told the airport commission this week that September passenger traffic was 45,667, an 89 per cent increase on the same month in 2016. October passenger volume was 51,967, a 117 per cent increase on the same month last year.
A report in local paper Daily Freeman News noted that in the 10 months ended October 31st, Stewart handled 356,714 passengers, 53 per cent more than during the same period last year.
Norwegian also launched services from Ireland to Providence, Rhode Island, around the same time.
The airline has begun hiring pilots to work at a permanent base that it intends establishing at Dublin Airport.
Stewart International Airport is in Orange County, New York state, around 100km from Manhattan.
