Cork Airport to return to pre-covid numbers two years ahead of schedule

Cork Airport recorded strong passenger numbers in April, with 250,030 travellers arriving and departing from the airport. As a result, the airport has revised its 2023 passenger forecast upwards, with 2.6m passengers expected to fly this year. This would see the airport back to pre-pandemic passenger levels. 

In 2021, the airport's operator, the DAA, predicted it would be 2025 before Dublin and Cork airports would see passenger numbers return to the levels seen in 2019. However, the passenger figures for Cork in April represent a 30% increase on the same month last year, and a 19% increase on April 2019. Figures from the DAA also show another record month for passenger numbers at Dublin Airport, with a total of 2.83m passengers travelling. In the first four months of 2023, just under 9.5m passengers have passed through Dublin Airport. Friday, April 28, was the busiest day at Dublin Airport while Tuesday, April 11, was the busiest for Cork. London Heathrow was the busiest destination for both airports.

DAA CEO Kenny Jacobs said the April figures were buoyed by a busy Easter period.  "The month of May is set to be busy too at both Dublin and Cork airports, as we see large numbers travelling for big events, including the culmination of the football season in the UK, a number of big rugby matches, including the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals in Dublin, as well as the beginning of the summer concert season, with a string of big gigs set to take place, starting with Bruce Springsteen this weekend," he said.

"The resumption of key summer services at Cork Airport, including those to destinations such as Frankfurt, Germany; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and a new route to Bristol, UK provides even more choice for passengers at the busiest and best-connected airport serving the South of Ireland."