€15m Upgrade Programme Takes Off at Shannon Airport

The Shannon Airport Group has begun the first phase of its €40 million 2026 investment programme with a €15 million upgrade of Shannon Airport’s terminal building. The project focuses on enhancing passenger facilities and delivering long-term sustainability improvements.

This phase marks the beginning of the latest programme of works across Shannon Airport, aimed at enhancing passenger facilities and delivering long term sustainability improvements.

The project builds on the significant sustainability initiatives already underway across the Group. The 1970s section of Shannon Airport’s main terminal will be replaced with a modern, curved architectural façade, designed to greatly enhance energy efficiency. This important upgrade will support the terminal’s transition to electric heat pump technology and new HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Passengers will also notice the transformation in the terminal’s appearance, with a striking, contemporary new exterior.

Alongside its environmental benefits, the project will deliver major improvements to the passenger experience. The immigration and baggage halls will be fully refurbished, offering brighter, more modern spaces with upgraded toilets, enhanced lighting and flooring, clearer signage, and optimized layouts. These enhancements are designed to reduce queues and streamline passenger flow, including a dedicated new entrance for European arrivals.

Sustainability remains a priority with the removal of the old 1950s link corridor, which is expected to save approximately 62 tonnes of CO₂ per year by eliminating the need to heat and cool the outdated structure. In addition, new facilities for Fixed Base Operators (FBOs) will be constructed within the Arrivals area of the terminal building.

This investment continues the significant progress The Shannon Airport Group has made in recent years across both infrastructure and the customer journey. This includes the introduction of C3 security scanners, the addition of 1,000 new car parking spaces, installation of six new state of the art airbridges, enhanced flight information displays, introducing the Shannon Airport App and, in 2025, launching Ireland’s first on airfield Solar PV farm as well as newly refurbished European Gates 1-5.

Construction is being carried out by Galway-based OCC Construction, with completion expected in May 2027. Other 2026 projects include upgrading taxiways and completing Blocks Y & Z, adding 100,000 sq. ft. of flexible, sustainable space at Shannon Airport Business Park.