The Irish Aviation Authority is to pay the state almost €7.5m in dividends tafter a 13% jump in operating profit in 2015 to €33.6m on turnover of €183.4m. At year-end, the IAA had €146m in cash and deposits.

The IAA generates income from charges and fees from airlines using Irish airspace. The IAA is responsible for air traffic management in Irish-controlled airspace covering 451,000 sq km, aeronautical communications on the North Atlantic, and the security oversight and safety regulation of the civil aviation industry in Ireland.

Most of its revenue comes from overflights and communications in its area, at €136m, with €21m coming from ‘airport terminal traffic‘ — takeoff and landing fees — and €20m from provision of safety regulation.

Average pay for 655 employees in 2015 was €91,600 per annum. The company stopped its defined benefit pension plan for new hires after January 2012. Employees on the payroll before that date contributed €3.5m towards their retirement benefit in 2015, with the Authority chipping in €20.1m.

The projected pension fund deficit was €124m at year end, down from a deficit of €151m in December 2014.

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In 2015, IAA traffic controllers managed over a million flights, up 5.6% on 2014. This amounted to an average of 2,811 flights every day at Irish airports, through Irish airspace and on the North Atlantic.

Last December, Ireland became the first country to make drone registration mandatory, with new legislation to enhance drone safety. This legislation prohibits unsafe operation of drones and makes it mandatory for all drones over 1kg to be registered. So far, more than 1,800 drones have been registered. The Authority recorded 285 bird strikes last year, up slightly on 2014.