Cork Airport - August Bank Holiday

 While there has been an increase in the numbers of passengers flying from Cork Airport since non-essential international travel restrictions were lifted almost two weeks ago, the numbers travelling are still below pre-COVID times. Cork Airport is normally handling about 10,000 passengers daily at this time of the year.

All attention now is focused on building our business back better and stronger and expanding our route network. We now have 20 routes back on sale with 6 airlines  so passengers across the South of Ireland have plenty of opportunities to take a well earned break before schools go back in August and September.

Cork Airport - Rekindling The Joy of Flying

 Ready when you are'

daa, the operator of Cork and Dublin Airports, will launch a new television commercial on Sunday July 18 in advance of the return of non-essential international travel from July 19. 

COVID-19 has ensured that it has been a long time since most of the Irish population have flown, so, daa has commissioned the advertisement in support of the Irish aviation sector. The 30 second commercial is of heart-warming scenes which rekindle the joy of travelling by air again while delivering important reassurances to passengers.  

The advertisement features several passengers about to take a flight to enjoy some long overdue and emotional reunions. Whether departing from Dublin or Cork Airports for the first time, or perhaps the first time in a long time, the commercial sets out to reassure passengers that daa staff are prepared and organised with the overarching message that ‘when you’re ready to go, we’re ready to help.’ 

daa Chief Executive Dalton Philips said: “While the past 16 months of severe travel restrictions have been in place to support the fight against COVID-19, the impact on airports, airlines and other businesses involved in international travel and aviation has been devastating. As we approach July 19th, we are looking ahead to rebuilding our business and supporting our industry. This advertising campaign marks this milestone and we hope it will remind people why we are a nation that loves to travel and that Dublin and Cork Airports are ready to welcome our passengers back through our doors when they are.”   

Dublin Airport - Passenger numbers increased last year

A total of 36.5 million passengers passed through the main Irish airports last year, an increase of 6.1% over the previous year.

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that passenger numbers increased last year in Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Knock and Shannon airports.

But passenger numbers decreased in airports in Connemara in Galway and Inishmore in Donegal.

The CSO said the five main airports accounted for 99.8% of all air passenger numbers, while Dublin airport accounted for 85.6% of all air passengers carried in 2018.

Meanwhile, over 8.4 million passengers passed through the main Irish airports in the fourth quarter of last year, an increase of 6.9% over the same time in 2017.

Cork Airport - Norwegian reroute Cork and Shannon

Norwegian to temporarily reroute Cork and Shannon passengers through Dublin Airport
The move is a temporary measure in response to the recent suspension of Boeing 737 MAX operations.

Norwegian has announced plans to reroute customers who had booked flights from Cork and Shannon airports through Dublin Airport for a 10-day period at the beginning of next month.

The move is in response to the decision of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) earlier this month to ban all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from Irish airspace, meaning that these planes cannot fly to or from Ireland, nor can they fly over Ireland en route to somewhere else.

Cork Airport - Boeing 737 Max

CORK air passengers face an anxious wait to find out if the decision to suspend the operation of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into and out of Irish airspace will affect the Cork to Providence transatlantic route.

The decision was made by the Irish Aviation Authority in the light of two fatal accidents involving the aircraft in recent months, including the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday.

Flights between Cork and the Rhode Island airport, near Boston, are set to resume next month and operate three times per week across the summer months.

The route provider, Norwegian, announced yesterday that it would not operate any flights with Boeing 737 MAX aircraft type until further notice.

Cork Airport - Friendliest Airport

Cork Airport One Of The Friendliest Airports In The World    

Happy Or Not, founded in Finland in 2009 by Heikki Väänänen and Ville Levaniemi, has exclusively shared its first airport report with CNN Travel.

It reveals the airports with the highest customer satisfaction globally, measured by the percentage of people hitting the dark green or light green buttons.
It also tells us the happiest and unhappiest times of day, week and year to fly as well as the parts of the airport journey most likely to make us hit the red button of rage.
The report is based on feedback from 158 million data-points from HappyOrNot smiley terminals in 160 airports across 36 countries.

Happy Or Not analysed data collected between November 2016 and November 2017, from airports which received more than 120,000 button-presses in the past year across more than two areas of the airport -- security, baggage reclaim, washrooms and so on. Some 68 airports in 22 countries met the criteria to be included in the rankings.

Airports with the highest satisfaction levels.

1. Exeter Airport, UK -- 88.66%
2 (tie). Cork Airport, Republic of Ireland -- 88.45%
2 (tie). Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (Rome), Italy -- 88.45%
4. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, USA -- 87.35%
5. Newcastle International Airport, UK -- 87.05%
6. London Southend Airport, UK -- 86.79%
7. Cardiff Airport, UK -- 86.57%

8. Keflavik International Airport, Iceland -- 86.35%       

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Cork Airport - WOW Air

Mixed fortunes at Cork Airport as Wow Air drops flights but Norwegian seats selling out rapidly
Norwegian began transatlantic flights from Cork on July 4. All flights on the route are completely sold out for the first three weeks of August.
THE decision of Wow Air to axe its winter schedule from Cork to Reykjavik has led to calls for an enhanced marketing strategy for new routes.
Lord Mayor Tony Fitzgerald expressed his disappointment at WOW Air’s decision to suspend the Cork Reykjavik route for the winter months.
He hopes a concerted drive to market the route can prevent it being cancelled completely.
A decision has yet to be made on whether the route will re-start again next summer.
The flights began five months ago as an all-year-round route that included the option of connecting flights to the United States.
In a statement, the airline said: “WOW Air will continue to operate its Cork to Reykjavik summer season service until October 27 next, at which point the route will be suspended for the winter season ahead.

Cork Airport- New Verona Route

Cork Airport Launches New Route To Verona For Summer 2017. Cork Airport is delighted to welcome a new airline carrier and route for a busy Summer 2017 schedule.
Spanish low-cost carrier Volotea will launch a new route to the Northern Italian city of Verona starting on Saturday, May 27 next.

Most famous as the home of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, the quiet and picturesque city of Verona offers the best of Italian cuisine, culture and climate. Just one hour away from Venice, Verona offers holidays makers an authentic Italian experience away from the beaten tourist track.

Verona is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the city is famous for its Roman and medieval architecture.
Head of Communications at Cork Airport Kevin Cullinane said: “We are delighted to expand our choice of destinations with Volotea, a new scheduled airline partner. We have served Verona before as a charter destination but now travellers in both Munster and Northern Italy will be able to book flights online and this will increase tourism in both directions.
“Unlike Romeo and Juliet’s tragic tale, a trip to Verona has so much to offer passengers from the South of Ireland. Travellers can meander through the winding streets of one of Italy's prettiest cities, all the while enjoying the great food and culture that Italy has to offer”, he added.

The new Cork Airport - Verona-Villafranca Airport service will operate weekly through the summer season until September.

Volotea will fly a Boeing 717 on the route, adding 4,600 seats to the schedule of services for this year.  

Cork Airport News

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Cork Airport - New Chicago Route

Icelandic airline WOW air has announced a new Chicago route with flights commencing on July 13 from both Cork and Dublin airports.

The Dublin and Cork to Chicago (O’Hare) route will run four times a week—Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays—all year round via Reykjavik, the Icelandic capital.

Fares start from as little as €139 one way, including taxes and charges.

WOW air will commence its Cork- Reykjavik service on May 22 next. The airline currently offers Dublin to Reykjavik five times weekly, increasing to daily in peak summer times.
Flights connect passengers to nine North America destinations via Reykjavik in addition to Chicago including New York, Boston, Washington DC, Toronto, Montreal, Miami, LA, San Francisco and Pittsburgh.

Chicago is the United States’ third biggest city and is renowned for some world-famous landmarks, including Willis Tower, the second-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and the iconic ‘Bean’ statue in Millennium Park.

Visitors to Chicago can catch a baseball game at the legendary Wrigley Field stadium, stop for a slice of deep-dish pizza, or take a relaxing cruise on Lake Michigan.

Skúli Mogensen, CEO of WOW air, said: “We are very pleased to be flying WOW air passengers from Dublin and Cork to the Windy City. Chicago is one of the USA’s most iconic and important cities, and is steeped in history and culture. The addition of Chicago to WOW air’s growing list of destinations is part of our ongoing strategy to deliver even greater flexibility and convenience to our passengers, with more connections to North America via our Reykjavik hub.”

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Cork Airport - WOW air.

Cork Airport is flying high after  announcing that the Icelandic low cost operator WOW air, a new airline to the region, is to commence a new Cork – Reykjavik service next year.
WOW’s new year-round service will also bring low-cost transatlantic connections from Cork to eight key destinations across the US and Canada.
WOW air’s one-way air fares to Reykjavik will start at €59.99 each way including taxes and charges. The airline will also provide easy and affordable access from Cork to Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, New York City, San Francisco, Toronto and Washington DC, with fares starting as low as €149 each way.

Cork Airport - Passenger Forecast

Cork Airport adds two new UK routes; forecasts 8pc growth in 2016 - 2.2m passengers for 2016
Aer Lingus Regional is to base a third aircraft at Cork, and will fly direct to Southampton and Leeds Bradford in 2016.

The airline, operated by Stobart Air, will launch the UK services next summer, adding to a wave of new route announcements at the airport.
It will also base a third aircraft at Cork, and increase capacity on existing routes to Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle, it said.
Cork's passenger numbers are down some 35pc since 2008, but several new route announcements have led to optimism at the country's second-busiest airport.
"Today’s news is further evidence that Cork Airport is now well on track to return to annualised growth next year," said its Managing Director, Niall MacCarthy.
The airport is forecasting growth of 8pc in 2016 - a figure which, if achieved, would deliver 2.2 million passengers (up from 2.14m in 2014).
New services to Boston and Barcelona (Norwegian), Dusseldorf (Aer Lingus), Madrid (Iberia Express) and Menorca, Nantes and La Rochelle (CityJet) have all been announced for 2016 in recent weeks.
Aer Lingus has also increased capacity on several services for 2016, with Aer Lingus Regional expected to carry 335,000 passengers next year - up 22pc.
The Port of Cork welcomed the new route to/from Southampton, which will offer passengers a direct link to the UK's main cruise hub.
Meanwhile, Dave Lees, Managing Director of Southampton Airport, said Cork was "the most requested unserved route in Ireland" from the city.
The Cork to Southampton route will operate five times weekly, with three weekly services on the Leeds Bradford route.
Seats for the UK routes start from €24.99 on aerlingus.com.

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Cork Airport - Marketing Award

Cork - Cork Airport has been shortlisted for a global marketing award.

The World Routes Marketing Awards are for the best and most effective marketing in route development within the aviation industry.

Cork Airport has announced three new routes this year, London City, Cardiff and Dusseldorf, as well as two new airlines, CityJet and Flybe.
The winner will be announced on September 21 at the World Routes ceremony in Durban, South Africa.

"We have had a number of new route announcements already this year with the addition of three new routes, London City, Cardiff and Dusseldorf as well as the addition of two new airlines, CityJet and Flybe," said Cork Airport head of communications Kevin Cullinane.

"The Aviation Marketing Team has been working tirelessly to attract new routes and we are determined to build on our recent successes.

"We are very proud of the new routes we’ve secured to our schedule of over 50 direct services.

"Liaising with key tourism stakeholders both locally and in the destination markets as well as the respective airports at the other end of the new routes has been crucial to landing the new routes for Cork Airport."

Breakingnews.ie
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Airport - Boarding Cards

Airports - Passengers not obliged to show boarding cards in airport shops. Industry sources warn prices may rise if boarding cards are not shown

Retailers operating in Dubin Airport have said consumers do not have to show boarding passes when making purchases but sources say a widespread failure to produce them would ultimately lead to prices rising.

WH Smith, which operates several concessions in the airport, said boarding passes “were requested from customers and not demanded” and there was no obligation on the part of consumers to comply with the request.

Similarly the DAA, the company that manages the shops at Dublin and Cork airports, said it asked all customers for boarding passes but would only insist they were produced when customers were attempting to buy duty-free products such as tobacco and alcohol.

A DAA spokesman said passengers were routinely asked for boarding cards and if they refused, they were asked to supply an end destination. If they refused to provide this, the sale could still be processed as long as the products were not in the duty-free category.

The retailers were responding as a controversy grows in the UK over reports that many retailers who operate in international airports are maximising their profits by scanning boarding passes and using the information to claim VAT back from passengers who travel outside of the EU while refusing to pass rebates back to customers.

Under EU law retailers can claim back VAT on sales to those leaving the EU but they have to process boarding cards in order to claim it.

Around 20 per cent of passengers who fly through Dublin Airport are travelling to destinations outside the EU. However with the exception of duty-free areas, the savings are not passed directly on to them.

Airport sources in Ireland said that if this consumer movement gathered momentum in the Republic than prices would inevitably climb.

“If a large number of VAT rebates could not be processed then that would hit retailers profits and their ability to pass on savings to consumers. So ultimately it would see charges rise for all passengers.”

The DAA said shops run by its subsidiary Aer Rianta International (ARI) “offer a single price to all customers across many product categories, whether they are travelling to a duty paid or to a duty-free destination. In this way, we pass on VAT savings for duty-free passengers to all of our customers.”

It said it had two separate prices for alcohol products – duty paid and duty free – and also sells premium liquor brands at a reduced, fixed price for travellers to all destinations. It claimed that prices on many product ranges were as much as 20 per cent below those charged in non-airport shops.

“Boarding cards are scanned by ARI for a number of reasons. These include checking whether a passenger is travelling to a duty-free or duty-paid destination and understanding passenger spending patterns,” it said. “We use this information in conjunction with other market research to improve the retail offer in our stores, and to help plan staffing levels.”

When contacted by The Irish Times WH Smith said that boarding passes were requested from passengers but not demanded. “Any [VAT] relief obtained is reflected in our single price and extensive promotional offers provided to all of our customers,” it said. “Operational and financial system constraints make any form of ‘dual pricing’ for our extensive product file a practical impossibility.”

Meanwhile, the Competition and Consumers Protection Commission has urged retailers operating in Irish airports “to be very clear with their customers as to the circumstances where they collect VAT on behalf of the State or where VAT is not charged”.

A spokeswoman also said “consumers should also be advised of the reasons why boarding cards are requested when making purchases in Irish airports. This information will allow consumers to make an informed decision and decide if they wish to make purchases from the retailers operating in Irish airports.”

Irish Times
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Cork Airport - Future Surveys

Cork - It is hoped Cork Airport will be included in future surveys regarding growth among European airports.

It comes after it was excluded from a recent report by a European air trade body which showed that Dublin was one of the fastest growing airports in Europe.

Cork Airport - Coveney rules out debt deal

CORK - Coveney rules out debt deal for Cork Airport. Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has ruled out a deal on Cork Airports debt despite the impending loss of another service.

The Irish Examiner has learned that the airport is poised to lose its last air freight service in June, prompting criticism from a Fine Gael MEP that the airport was ignored in a government submission to an EU strategic investment fund.
The latest blow came weeks after the airport announced three new routes, to Cardiff, Ibiza and Prague.
However, FedEx, the airport’s last existing freight operator, confirmed it was moving its business to Shannon Airport, which has hoovered up almost 120,000 passengers from Cork through Ryanair route switches in the last 12 months.

Cork Airport - Give 10m to Compete

CORK Airport is not operating on a level playing field when it comes to securing new routes or maintaining existing ones, Cork Chamber has said.
Following the loss of the Brussels flight this winter the business representative body said Cork should be provided with an annual grant of approximately €10m to allow it to offer the same type of deals that Shannon Airport can to attract new routes.
When Shannon Airport was made independent two years ago more than €100m in debt was written down by the Government.
It has allowed the airport to offer new airlines zero charges on an ongoing basis while Cork can only do so on a sliding scale over five years with zero charges in year one increasing to full charges in year five.

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Cork Airport - Flights Cut

Aer Lingus confirmed it is suspending the Cork to Brussels service for the winter from October 27. It had operated twice per week last winter. The Cork to Munich service has been reduced from two flights per week to one, from December 20 until the end of March, when it will revert to two per week.
The Cork to Malaga service has reduced from three flights per week to two per week between November-March when it will revert to three per week.
Cork MEP Deirdre Clune said the Aer Lingus decision was a disappointing blow as it was important for Cork to have a direct connection with the European capital.
“Cork Airport has been working hard providing incentives and marketing the region so this decision is unfortunate,” she said.
“It underlines the importance of Cork’s connections with London and Amsterdam. They are becoming more important as hubs for Cork travellers.”
Cork TD Jerry Buttimer urged the new Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe to hold an urgent meeting with Cork Airport management so that the Minister can be made aware of challenges and opportunities facing Cork Airport.
The news comes as Ryanair unveiled a new business service for its passengers giving flexibility on ticket changes, an increased baggage allowance and priority boarding as part of their ongoing campaign to improve their image.

Evening Echo

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Cork Airport - raise money for cystic fibrosis

One of the happiest places to be in Ireland in July is the airport – it usually means holidays but the staff and passengers at Cork airport are REALLY happy.

Not only is the video for a good cause, it also gives us a glimpse behind the scenes of the mysterious luggage belt.

Cork Airport produced the video to raise awareness for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, one of the airport’s charity partners for 2014.

Ireland has the highest proportion of Cystic Fibrosis in the world, over 1,100 people in Ireland have the condition.

The video, which was shot at Cork Airport features airport staff and passengers dancing to the smash hit ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams.

Given the happy staff, it’s no surprise that Cork Airport was ranked as the world’s best regional airport for customer service by both business and leisure travellers.

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Cork Airport - Malayian switches flights

Friends, family and work colleagues of two Cork-based Malaysian chefs feared the men had died in Thursday’s doomed MH17 flight — only to get confirmation almost 24 hours later that the two men had actually travelled home to Kuala Lumpur on a different carrier.
Zul 33, and Ujang 38, who work at the Ramen restaurant on Anglesea St in Cork City, had travelled to Dublin early on Thursday morning to get a flight home.
Their families — the two men have eight children between them — had already flown to Malaysia but Zul and Ujang had remained in Cork to help train staff for a new restaurant outlet in Dennehy’s Cross.
The usual route home the men would have taken — and which was used by their families — was the Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Airways flight. The owner of Ramen, Dave Dwyer, presumed that was how his chefs were travelling this time.
Therefore when news broke at 4.50pm that the plane had been shot down, he feared the worst and realised he needed to get to Zul’s brother who also worked in the restaurant.
“I went straight to Anglesea St, went in and said: “Eddie (Zul’s brother) we need to talk”. I felt like a garda calling to a door. We spoke three times and he listened to the radio. He was blank with shock. He said to me, ‘I have got a huge fright’,”

Cork Airport - Cost too high

The Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar has stated that new government legislation provides a mechanism for Cork Airport to become independent.

However, Mr Varadkar said that if Cork Airport secured its independence now, the airport “would immediately be loss-making”.

Speaking during a Seanad debate on the State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014, Mr Varadkar said: “Unlike Shannon Airport, Cork Airport’s operating costs substantially exceed its revenues. To operate on a commercial basis it would require significant redundancies and or pay cuts, which nobody is proposing.”

Mr Varadkar said that while it is not the right time for Cork to become independent “it could be done when the time is right, and this legislation allows a mechanism for it”.

The Transport Minister said that independence for Cork “is not right for the DAA now because it carries a debt of €200m as a result of the new terminal”.

He added: “If this debt stayed with Cork Airport it would crush Cork while if it stayed with the DAA it would severely damage its balance sheet at a time when it needs to deal with pension issues.”

Figures for 2013 show that passenger numbers declined by 3.5% to 2.3m.

Mr Varadkar stated: “We need more people to visit Cork. Unfortunately, it is largely an outbound airport.”

He pointed out that the DAA established the Cork Airport Development Council at his request and it had its first meeting in March. “Its remit is to pull the interests of the region together, try to develop the airport and give people more reasons to visit the region and use the airport.”

Cork economist, Dr Seán Barrett told the minister that he supported his decision in relation to Shannon “so, why can Cork not have its independence?”

“I do not like the idea of the airport run as a colony of Dublin,” he said.

Irish Examiner

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