FG election candidate says transatlantic service will be a ‘top priority’ if elected
GETTING flights from the US back on the runway at Cork Airport will be a priority for Fine Gael election candidate Cllr Noel O’Donovan, if he’s elected this month.
The Rosscarbery businessman and ex-garda says he has submitted a detailed report to government and airport authorities, arguing the case for a return of transatlantic flights.
The report highlights that over 70 buses, accommodating up to 3,500 passengers daily, currently travel from Cork to Dublin Airport.
‘Cork Airport, serving a catchment area of over 1m people and accommodating 2.8 million passengers annually, has both the demand and the infrastructure,’ he said.
The airport’s long-running dream of having transatlantic flights was short-lived when, in August of 2019, airline Norwegian announced it was pulling its service to Boston Providence after launching in late 2017, citing poor passenger numbers.
In a 3,500-word document, Cllr O’Donovan outlines what he calls ‘compelling’ reasons to bring the transatlantic routes back to Cork.
While Dublin and Shannon Airports currently offer preclearance, Cllr O’Donovan argues this is not an essential barrier for Cork. ‘Major European airports, including London, Amsterdam, and Paris, do not offer preclearance, and as preclearance processes evolve, it is expected to become less of a limiting factor,’ he explained.
The report also details how Cork’s 2,133m runway can accommodate the Airbus A321 LR and Boeing 737 Max – the same aircraft used for frequent flights from Dublin and Shannon to the US.
Cllr O’Donovan clarified that the previous route, once operated by Norwegian and transporting over 30,000 passengers annually before ending in 2019, faced challenges due to external factors like the global grounding of Boeing aircraft and internal financial issues within the airline.
‘Having recently received over €40m in infrastructure upgrades, Cork Airport is positioned to support additional routes, with capacity for 2m more passengers annually,’ he told The Southern Star.
Cork Airport’s terminal has a capacity of approximately 5m passengers annually, said Cllr O’Donovan, though it currently handles about 2.8m.
Cllr O’Donovan believes the airport’s expansion is critical for balanced regional development and alleviating overcapacity issues in Dublin.
‘Belfast, Dublin, and Shannon have seized this potential. There is no reason Cork Airport cannot play a similar role, transforming the commercial, tourism, and hospitality sectors in Cork and the broader region,’ he added. ‘We must end the inefficiency of over 70 buses travelling from Cork to Dublin Airport daily and establish a vital connection to the east coast of the US.’ The report has been submitted to Cork Airport management, the DAA, the secretary general of the Department of Transport, the Taoiseach, and the Minister for Transport, Cllr O’Donovan said.
