Departure
93%
vs 95% ▼ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Kerry Airport lies at Farranfore, between Killarney and Tralee in County Kerry, and is the main gateway for the southwest of Ireland. It offers a single long, ILS-equipped runway suitable for airliners and general aviation alike, making it a straightforward and well-equipped destination for a VFR or IFR visit.
Kerry Airport, ICAO code EIKY, is a public international airport at Farranfore in County Kerry, operated by Kerry Airport plc. It handles scheduled services with Ryanair and the French carrier Chalair, but its single substantial ILS-equipped runway and regional setting also make it an interesting and accessible destination for visiting light aircraft. It sits roughly midway between Killarney and Tralee, close to the Ring of Kerry, giving arriving pilots a scenic approach over the Kerry countryside.
The airport is at Farranfore, County Kerry, about 8 nautical miles southeast of Tralee, the county town, and some 7 nautical miles north of the Ring of Kerry. It lies close to Killarney, a well-known landmark town for pilots navigating the southwest corner of Ireland.
Kerry has a single physical runway, 08/26, of 6,521 feet with a hard surface, lit for night operations. Runway 26 is equipped with an ILS, giving an instrument approach into the prevailing westerly wind direction.
Ground movements are handled on 121.6 MHz and the tower frequency is 123.325 MHz. The runway is served by an ILS on runway 26.
Kerry Airport was incorporated as a public limited company in July 1968 with the aim of building and managing an airport at Farranfore. The first aircraft landed on 25 August 1969, flown by Captain Milo Carr of the Department of Transport and Power, on an original runway of 1,090 by 23 metres. For some years the field saw only light private aircraft, occasional charter and cargo flights, and parachuting activity, before the first scheduled service began in July 1979 with an Islander operated by Aer Arann. The runway was lengthened and widened to 1,200 by 30 metres, opening to scheduled traffic in May 1989 with an Aer Lingus service from Dublin followed a day later by Ryanair from London-Luton. A further, much larger runway of 2,000 by 45 metres was built under a contract signed in May 1993, with the sod-turning performed by Tanaiste Dick Spring TD; the new runway 08/26 was licensed by the Irish Aviation Authority on 20 May 1994, its first landing that day being a PA28 from Manchester flown by C. Gurley, followed shortly by the first commercial arrival, an Aer Lingus Saab 340 commanded by Captain Peter Heinz. The airport later operated under various public service obligation contracts on the Dublin route, passing between Aer Arann, Aer Lingus Regional (operated by Stobart Air) and eventually Ryanair on a commercial basis after Stobart Air's collapse.
Kerry Airport remains an active public airport with scheduled international and domestic air services, currently operated by Ryanair to destinations including Dublin, London-Luton, London-Stansted, Manchester and Hahn, plus seasonal Ryanair routes to Alicante and Faro, and Chalair services to several French cities. Its long, lit, ILS-equipped runway 08/26 supports both airline and general aviation traffic visiting the southwest of Ireland.
