A RECORD 3.46 million passengers travelled through Cork Airport last year, making it the busiest year in its 64-year history and up 13% on 2024 and 67% in the past decade.

Numbers travelling to and from UK cities including Bristol, Liverpool and Manchester grew by at least a quarter, while traffic between Cork and Germany grew 61%.

Traffic between Cork and Belgium grew by 29% and Switzerland was up by 27%.

The airport said there was strong growth in European hub activity, with even more hub growth promised in 2026. New routes for summer 2026 include Nivce, Santiago de Compostela and Antalya.

In 2025, Cork Airport was named Europe’s best airport in the category for facilities with less than five million passengers for the third time in ten years.

A number of capital development projects are currently under way as part of a €200m investment plan by the DAA.

The airport says construction of a new mezzanine floor is progressing on time and on budget. Work on a new over-sized baggage area, staff area and goods screening area was completed at the end of the year.

Work will begin later this year on an extension to car parking facilities at the airport which will add 700 new long-term spaces, while a solar facility extending over one of the long-term car parks will generate one-fifth of the airport’s electricity needs.

Cork Airport managing director Niall MacCarthy said: ‘In 2026 we will be expanding our facilities and delivering on our capital development programme while delivering the same exceptional service our passengers love, and we look forward to another tremendous year in Cork Airport’s history.’