Shannon Airport has said it is expecting to deal with 60,000 passengers over the Bank Holiday weekend- a 10% increase on the same time last year.

The airport has seen 1.04 million passengers pass through the County Clare facility in the first half of the year, which is a 7% increase on last year.

The numbers using the airport have been boosted by a number of factors including, Ryanair basing a fourth aircraft there as well as rolling out new routes to Lapland, Madeira, and Madrid.

The airline has also increased frequencies on six existing services for the winter schedule.

The airport is also undergoing a €30m investment programme which will include the expansion of the Park4Less car park with 1,000 new spaces.

Mary Considine, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group, said: "We're delighted to see such strong demand this August Bank Holiday period.

"The increase in passenger numbers is a clear sign that our investments in connectivity, infrastructure and customer experience are paying off.

"Shannon is thriving, and we’re proud to be playing a key role in supporting tourism and business across the region."