20 February 2019
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Cork Airport plans to outperform all other airports in Ireland in 2019 as it achieves its fourth consecutive year of growth. This is according to a briefing note from the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) which was seen by Ireland South MEP Deirdre Clune.
16/07/18
Deirdre Clune MEP
Pic Diane Cusack
The note said that the outlook for Cork Airport for 2019 and beyond remains positive. Traffic is forecasted to reach 2.6 million passengers in 2019, which is up 8% on 2018.
Ireland South MEP Deirdre Clune said: “Passenger numbers at Cork Airport are up 16% in the past three years and the airport has seen an increase of six new scheduled airlines since 2015 as well as the introduction of its first direct transatlantic route. It is great to see that Cork Airport was the fastest growing airport in Ireland in January 2019 and plans to outperform all other airports in Ireland in 2019.”
“Cork Airport is such a valuable asset for the South of Ireland and we must ensure that we continue this growth and that it gets the investment it needs. There is so much positive news coming from Cork Airport at the moment. The recent news that Cork Airport was Ireland’s most punctual airport last year with the highest level of customer service has be be commended.”
According to the DAA report this performance was achieved by an empowered local management, operating within the DAA group, growing inbound tourism numbers through co-operative marketing campaigns with Tourism Ireland in key source markets such as Great Britain, the USA, France and Germany. They also note that intense stakeholder engagement including that of the Cork Airport Development Council has resulted in significant airline and new route wins as well as capacity increases in recent years.
The report went on to say that the outlook at Cork Airport for 2019 remains positive and management’s focus continues to be on driving passenger numbers, by working closely with both existing airlines and future potential airlines.
MEP Clune said: “These figures must be celebrated and they show that Cork Airport is working hard to ensure that they continue to be one of the top airports in Ireland. With over 50 routes on offer from Cork Airport to destinations across the UK, Continental Europe and the east coast of the USA we need to ensure that this growth is maintained.