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Airport welcomes transatlantic flights

May 31st, 2017 10:05 PM

By Siobhan Cronin

Svana Fridriksdottir of Wow air at the launch of the new Icelandic low-cost flights between Cork and Reykjavik, in Cork Airport. (Photo: Brian Lougheed)

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CORK Airport made history  as it welcomed Wow air, the Icelandic low-cost carrier, which began its Cork – Reykjavik service, and onwards to the US.  

The new year-round service offers transatlantic connectivity – for the first time from Cork – to 10 destinations across North America, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Montreal, Miami, New York, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Toronto and Washington DC. The airline will operate four weekly flights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday during the summer season, and three weekly flights during the winter. 

With fares starting at €59.99 each way, connecting fares to the US begin at €169.99 each way from Cork to Miami.

Speaking at the launch, Cork Airport’s managing director Niall MacCarthy said the airline was a ‘dynamic, low cost, modern’ airline with a distinctive pink livery, flying four times per week to Iceland, and then onto 10 North American destinations. 

‘Wow uses main city airports. For example, their Boston flight flies into Boston Logan and their New York flight flies into Newark Airport.’

He said Iceland was an amazing and unique country to visit and the Icelanders share a lot in common with Ireland.

 ‘We encourage people to either take two holidays in one, stopping off for a day or two in Iceland, en route to the States, or alternatively, grab a coffee in the modern terminal in Reykjavik and jump on a connecting plane to one of the ten destinations.’

On last week’s inaugural flight, a group of US and Canadian media arrived in Ireland to see the tourism product here.

Also in attendance at Cork Airport was county mayor Cllr Seamus McGrath. 

‘I warmly welcome the commencement of transatlantic travel to and from Cork,’ he said. ‘This will take tourism and travel within Cork and its environs to a new level. It is a very exciting time for all involved.’

 Fares from Cork to the US East Coast one way including taxes and charges, start at (Boston) €159.99; (Washington DC) €159.99; (New York) €159.99; (Chicago) €199.99; (Montréal €159.99), and Toronto €159.99. 

Fares from Cork to the US West Coast one way including taxes and charges begin at (Los Angeles) €169.99; (San Francisco) €169.99, and (Miami) €169.99.

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