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Shannon Airport has launched a new national brand campaign positioning itself as “The Best Place to Fly From” in 2026, tying a playful creative concept to a wider programme of terminal upgrades, expanded routes and award winning customer service at Ireland’s west coast gateway.
Playful New Brand Puts Passenger Experience Center Stage
Unveiled this week, Shannon Airport’s latest brand campaign leans into the airport’s reputation for friendliness and speed, presenting 2026 as a year of further improvements for passengers. The creative, built around two animated “frequent flier” birds, is designed to underscore the ease of travelling through a smaller regional hub while still accessing an expanding network of European and transatlantic routes.
The 30 second hero film, shot entirely on site, features front line staff guiding the animated characters through their journey, blending semi animated storytelling with real world settings. By choosing members of its own team to appear on screen, the airport is aiming to humanise the brand and highlight the people behind its customer satisfaction scores. Staff from across the terminal were invited to submit photos and videos, with a shortlist selected for the final edit.
The new tagline, “The Best Place to Fly From,” builds directly on independent research that has ranked Shannon as Ireland’s top airport brand for three consecutive years. Airport executives say the campaign is not about repositioning but about amplifying an identity that passengers already recognise, focused on short walking distances, quick processing times and a relaxed, regional atmosphere.
Running nationwide across television, cinema, radio, digital and outdoor channels throughout 2026, the campaign is Shannon’s most integrated brand push in years. Media partners have been briefed to target both the airport’s traditional Mid West catchment and growth markets along Ireland’s east coast, reflecting rising demand for an alternative to the country’s busiest capital city hub.
Security, Inclusivity and Tech Upgrades Underpin the Message
Behind the light tone of the new commercials sits a series of hard operational changes that the airport hopes will be noticed by travellers in 2026. Central to this is upgraded screening technology that allows passengers to leave electronics and 100 millilitre liquids in their bags, significantly speeding up the security process. For families and business travellers, that translates to fewer queues, less repacking and a smoother start to the journey.
The campaign also spotlights Shannon’s emphasis on inclusive travel. The airport offers age friendly measures across the terminal, including clearer wayfinding and seating, alongside a dedicated Sensory Room and participation in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Programme. These features are designed to support passengers with additional needs, such as autism, dementia or anxiety, and align with a broader industry shift towards more accessible air travel.
Digital touchpoints are being refreshed in parallel. The Shannon Airport app, first introduced during earlier schedule expansions, is being promoted as a key planning tool, offering real time flight information, parking support and practical features such as AR bag measurement. Airport management views the app as an important bridge between the brand campaign and the day to day experience, giving passengers more control from the moment they book.
Operationally, Shannon continues to leverage its United States preclearance facility, which allows passengers bound for the US to complete immigration formalities before departure. The service, long regarded as a competitive advantage for the airport, aligns with the campaign’s promise of a hassle free journey and is expected to feature prominently in digital and social executions aimed at long haul travellers.
Major Terminal Investment Set to Refresh the Passenger Journey
The 2026 brand launch coincides with a substantial physical transformation of the airport. Work is now under way on a 15 million euro terminal upgrade, the first phase of a 40 million euro investment programme aimed at enhancing both sustainability and passenger comfort. A dated 1970s section of the terminal is being replaced with a curved, energy efficient façade designed to improve insulation and reduce the building’s overall carbon footprint.
Inside, the upgrade will deliver brighter immigration and baggage halls, reconfigured layouts to ease congestion, improved lighting and signage, and refreshed washroom facilities. A dedicated entrance for European arrivals and departures is planned to streamline flows at peak times, while new airbridges and taxiway enhancements are intended to improve boarding efficiency and aircraft turnaround.
Energy performance is a key focus of the works. The façade replacement supports a planned move to electric heat pump technology and modern ventilation systems, significantly cutting reliance on fossil fuels. This follows the launch of Ireland’s first on airfield solar PV farm at Shannon, which is projected to supply a significant share of the airport’s annual electricity needs and has already earned the airport group recognition at national sustainability awards.
Executives say the construction schedule has been designed to minimise disruption, with the bulk of intrusive works carefully phased around busy travel periods. The project is slated to continue through 2026 as part of a broader modernisation plan that also includes new industrial units, upgraded parking and infrastructure to support future growth.
Record Route Network Positions Shannon for 2026 Growth
Shannon’s creative reset is timed to meet rising demand. The airport expects to offer around 40 routes in 2026, its largest schedule in 17 years, including new European city links and additional sun destinations. Airline partners are adding capacity across key leisure and business markets, with a mix of new services and increased frequencies on established routes.
Ryanair has already announced further growth from the airport, including new services to Rome, Madrid, Poznań and Warsaw alongside extra flights to popular destinations such as Alicante, Lanzarote and Malta. Aer Lingus is increasing its Boston service to up to 10 flights a week at the height of summer, and additional frequencies on Paris are planned from late spring, reinforcing Shannon’s role as a gateway for both tourism and corporate travel.
The expanded programme builds on record transatlantic capacity introduced in 2025, when Shannon operated its biggest ever summer schedule to the United States. Airport leaders argue that a strong network is essential to sustaining jobs and investment across the wider Mid West region, from hospitality and visitor attractions to multinational employers reliant on direct international connectivity.
With the brand campaign rolling out across Irish media and a larger choice of destinations on sale, Shannon is targeting both existing customers and new travellers who may be weighing drive times against time spent in queues. The underlying message is that a modernised regional gateway can offer a different kind of value, measured as much in a calmer departure experience as in the ticket price itself.
Award Winning Reputation Fuels Confident Market Positioning
The decision to anchor the new branding around passenger sentiment follows a string of accolades for Shannon Airport in recent years. The Shannon Airport Group secured the Operational Excellence in Aviation Award at the Aviation Industry Awards, where judges highlighted the airport’s integration of customer experience, operational reliability and sustainability initiatives. Separate research from the RED C Brand Reaction Index has ranked Shannon as Ireland’s top airport brand three years in a row, reflecting strong emotional connection with consumers.
Senior figures at the airport say these benchmarks have provided a clear foundation for the 2026 creative. Rather than promising a transformation, the campaign is framed as a celebration and continuation of what has already differentiated Shannon, from faster processing and easier parking to a personable, regional feel. The presence of real staff in the advertising is intended to reinforce that continuity at a time when the physical fabric of the terminal is changing.
The Shannon Airport Group is also using the campaign to signal confidence in the long term prospects of regional aviation in Ireland. By pairing a light, character led concept with substantial investment in infrastructure, energy and accessibility, the airport is arguing that smaller gateways can set new standards in how passengers experience air travel.
As work progresses across the terminal and the media rollout gathers pace, the coming months will test whether the promise embedded in “The Best Place to Fly From” resonates with travellers choosing their airport for 2026 trips. For Shannon, the measure of success will be visible not just on brand trackers, but in the day to day experience of passengers moving more smoothly through a brighter, more modern terminal.