Major Infrastructure Upgrade to Deliver Energy Efficient Facilities and Enhanced Passenger Experience at Shannon Airport

(IN SHORT) The Shannon Airport Group has started a €15 million terminal redevelopment as the first phase of its €40 million 2026 investment programme, focusing on sustainability improvements and enhanced passenger facilities. The project will replace older terminal structures with an energy-efficient façade, introduce electric heat pump and modern HVAC systems, and refurbish arrivals areas to streamline passenger movement. Additional environmental benefits include removing outdated infrastructure to cut emissions, while complementary investments across security, solar energy, parking and business park expansion support long-term operational and economic growth. Construction is expected to conclude in May 2027.

(PRESS RELEASE) SHANNON, Ireland, 2026-Feb-17 — /Travel PR News/ — The Shannon Airport Group has begun the first airport-specific project under its €40 million capital investment programme for 2026, launching construction on a €15 million redevelopment of Shannon Airport’s terminal building. The initiative represents the opening phase of a broader series of upgrades designed to modernise infrastructure, improve passenger experience and deliver measurable sustainability gains.

Central to the project is the replacement of a section of the terminal dating back to the 1970s with a newly designed curved façade that will significantly enhance the building’s energy efficiency. The upgrade will enable the transition to electric heat pump technology and new HVAC systems, supporting the airport’s move away from fossil-fuel-based heating while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The redevelopment will also introduce a refreshed architectural identity to the terminal exterior.

Inside the terminal, the immigration and baggage reclaim areas will undergo full refurbishment to create brighter, more efficient arrival spaces. Improvements will include upgraded amenities, modern lighting and flooring, clearer signage and redesigned layouts intended to ease congestion and improve passenger flow, including the addition of a dedicated entrance for European arrivals.

Further sustainability benefits will be achieved through the removal of a legacy 1950s link corridor, eliminating the need to heat and cool the structure and reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 62 tonnes annually. As part of this reconfiguration, new facilities for Fixed Based Operators will be incorporated within the Arrivals zone.

The project builds on a series of recent developments across Shannon Airport, including the rollout of C3 security screening technology, expansion of parking capacity, installation of new airbridges, enhanced digital flight information systems, the launch of the Shannon Airport mobile app and the introduction of Ireland’s first on-airfield solar photovoltaic farm.

Galway-based OCC Construction has been appointed as contractor for the works, which have now commenced and are scheduled for completion in May 2027. Additional elements of the 2026 investment programme include taxiway upgrades and the delivery of Blocks Y and Z at Shannon Airport Business Park, adding approximately 100,000 square feet of flexible industrial space to support regional economic activity.

Through these projects, The Shannon Airport Group aims to strengthen operational performance, improve the passenger journey and advance its long-term sustainability strategy.

Media contact:
communications@snnairportgroup.ie

SOURCE: The Shannon Airport Group