High level forum to probe future of Airport

Cork Airport

BY JACKIE KEOGH

A HIGH-LEVEL round table conference to discuss declining passenger numbers at Cork Airport will take place at the Inchydoney Lodge and Spa on the morning of Thursday March 26th.

Fine Gael TD Jim Daly has convened the meeting, which will include all the stakeholders.

The TD said he had originally asked the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, for his direct assistance and intervention on the issue of Cork Airport.

‘At the time,’ Mr Daly said, ‘the Taoiseach indicated his intention to facilitate talks between all the major stakeholders to explore new initiatives to grow new routes.

‘The Taoiseach has been unable to provide me with a date and has in the interim requested Minister Paschal Donohoe to attend the conference in his place – to avoid further delay.’

The Minister will travel to Inchydoney to meet with invited stakeholders, including management from Cork Airport, Failte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, the Irish Hotels Federation and Cork County Council to discuss the following three key items: the promotion of West Cork as an attraction to promote new routes into Cork Airport; the need to examine ways of strengthening national policy to support and promote Cork Airport; and the need to establish Cork Airport as a hub airport for the Wild Atlantic Way.

Meanwhile, Cork Airport this week announced new flights to party island Ibiza.

CSA Czech Airlines launched a new twice-weekly route from Cork to Ibiza for Summer 2015.

The route, operating from June 11th to September 21st, will add over 8,000 seats to the airport’s schedule.