Airport’s plans are good for West Cork

THERE are big plans for Cork Airport, if its parent, the DAA, gets its way. This week the airport authority, based at Dublin Airport, said Cork’s airport is ranked the second highest in Ireland for international connectivity – after Dublin. But now it is hoping to increase its connectivity by encouraging airlines to move routes from the capital to the southern city.

With capacity capped at Dublin, and yet signs of passenger numbers and demand predicted to continue on an upward trajectory, there are fears Ireland will lose routes if a solution isn’t found.

The DAA, which controls both airports, sees Cork as the obvious way to solve the problem.

With a relatively new and modern terminal in operation in Cork (since 2006), and plenty of land around the facility, there appears to be plenty of room for expansion in the southern capital.

For sure, Dublin is running out of options, with Shannon Airport not within its remit (it is owned and run by the Shannon Airport Group in Co Clare), so Cork is the obvious – and maybe only – option.

But it’s an excellent option, too.

Last year Cork Airport contributed to the employment of over 12,650 people and over €1bn to the Irish economy.

Day-to-day operational activities at the airport directly supported 2,330 jobs in companies across the airport campus including airlines, air traffic control, ground handlers, airport security, immigration, customs, and airport retailers in 2023.

The additional 10,320 jobs stemmed from indirect operations.

Cork serves major hubs such as London Heathrow and Amsterdam, providing the region with those high levels of connectivity, as mentioned by the DAA.

The move to add more flights can only be good news for West Cork, which is hugely dependent on tourism.

More connections mean more access to potential visitors, and better options for promoting the region to inward travellers.

Cork Airport is also one of the most accessible airports in the country for tourists, given its proximity to the city centre and good connections via bus and taxi.

It is also a very comfortable airport to use, with close parking and relatively swift security checks.

Kenny Jacobs, the chief executive of the DAA, said this week that the authority was committed to supporting Cork’s growth to five million passengers a year within the next decade, while maintaining the warm Cork welcome and customer service that make it such an attractive option for travellers.

Cork Airport will continue to expand its route network, including offering new incentives to encourage airlines that are capped from growing at Dublin to take advantage of Cork Airport’s great facilities.

Good connectivity throughout the island is critical to attracting tourists and investment to Ireland and there is a real danger of losing out to other countries while the Dublin cap remains in place, the DAA believes.

Airlines that move routes and traffic from Dublin to Cork Airport will be offered lower charges at Cork Airport to encourage airlines to keep those routes in Ireland and to support jobs and connectivity.

Supporting the news, Cork’s managing director Niall MacCarthy said it heralded an ‘exciting time’ for Cork Airport, adding that the airport will be expanding its facilities in the next number of years to provide more airside and terminal facilities too.

He said the airport looked forward to welcoming more tourists directly into Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way and Ancient East – both popular touring routes served through Cork.

Overseas tourism to Cork city and county alone brings in excess of €600m every year and West Cork gets a good slice of that.

More options for travel mean more tourists, meaning more opportunities for local businesses and, with that, a more secure future for all in West Cork.

The airport’s recently-announced plans to install a solar farm mean that fears about carbon emissions from extra aircraft with be somewhat tempered, and the airline industry is at pains to point out that more efficient aircraft are also in the pipeline.

Overall, the news this week for West Cork is good, and good news will bring a much-needed lift to hard-pressed businesses throughout the region.

It’s time to start planning for the future, and making sure we are ready for the expected increase in visitors to our very special part of Ireland.

Sport provides much-needed lift

Speaking of things providing a boost to the region, Sunday’s hurling semi-final created the kind of feel good factor that had been missing in Cork GAA for some time. Not only did the team do well and book a slot in Croke Park on Sunday week, but they also provided an edge-of-seat performance that had the whole county holding its breath, right up to the final whistle. At a time when the weather is a disappointment to all, it’s lovely to see sport stepping up and creating such unbridled joy.