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Rugby fans help boost Cork Airport passenger numbers

October 15th, 2023 9:00 AM

By Southern Star Team

David Crowley, Cork Airport; Marion O’Brien, SEAI; Niall MacCarthy, Cork Airport and Eoin Maguire, Cork Airport at the SEAI award confirmation. (Photo: Brian Lougheed) Cork Airport award Best Energy Saving Commercial Semi-State Body 2021/2022 by SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland). Pictured are Marion O'Brien. Director of Corporate Services, SEAI and Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director of Cork Airport. Pic: Brian Lougheed

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A TOTAL of 260,000 passengers travelled to and from Cork Airport in September, 12% higher than in the same month in 2022, according to airport operator daa. 

Routes to Spain, Portugal, the Canary Islands, and Italy were particularly busy last month. 

 Kenny Jacobs, daa ceo said: ‘In September, passengers from across Munster and the South of Ireland continued to enjoy a superb airport experience and a great choice of routes from Cork Airport. Fans heading to France for the Rugby World Cup contributed to another great month in terms of passenger traffic, which was 12% higher compared with September 2022. From the beginning of September, large numbers of Irish rugby fans set off for France from Cork Airport, to Bordeaux, La Rochelle and Paris as Rugby World Cup fever began to take hold. Aer Lingus commenced a direct service to Paris Charles de Gaulle to cater for the Rugby World Cup traffic and Air France increased capacity and frequency on their services to Paris.’

He added: ‘I have no doubt that October will be another busy month for Cork Airport as some new routes like Barcelona, Paris Beauvais and Fuerteventura come on stream. Towards the end of the month, thousands will jet into Cork for the annual Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, a highlight of the Cork event calendar with Cork Airport as a proud festival partner.’

 In September, Cork Airport was also listed as the Best Performing Commercial Semi-State Body for energy reduction by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for the second year running. This accolade is a result of significant retrofitting of lighting systems, replacement of diesel vehicles with electric equivalents and an enhanced management of lighting and heating in the terminal building. 

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