24 Nov 2020
Cork Airport Welcomes Irish Government Support
Cork Airport Warmly Welcomes Government’s Supports For Irish Aviation
November 10, 2020: Management at Cork Airport has warmly welcomed the news that the Irish Government is to provide financial support in the short and medium term to secure operations at the southern gateway for 2021 in addition to significant capital investment supports. This is in direct response to the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director at Cork Airport said, “We are extremely grateful for the active engagement with the Taoiseach and relevant Government Ministers in recent months who have taken onboard our challenges and responded with a package of financial measures that supports Cork Airport in the short and medium term.”
“The reconstruction of the main runway at Cork Airport is urgently needed to future-proof connectivity from the State’s biggest and best-connected regional international airport and secure the South of Ireland’s long-term economic ambitions. Cork Airport’s existing runway is effectively approaching end of life and needs to be reconstructed over 2021 and 2022 as we look forward to future growth opportunities. Today’s Government decision not only secures our financial footing in the short term but is also a huge vote of confidence in our ambitions at Cork Airport to expand connectivity in the medium to long term to the UK, Europe and North America.”
The reconstruction of the existing runway as well as ancillary works on a new electrical substation at Cork Airport will commence in 2021.
“Cork Airport is Munster’s favourite airport and ordinarily the second busiest and best connected airport in the country, and we have the ambition and the team to get it back to its rightful place as we safely navigate a way through the current pandemic back to growth over the next three to four years”, added Niall MacCarthy. “Cork Airport is a vital piece of regional infrastructure and is crucial for Irish tourism, business and international trade alike.”
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Kevin Cullinane, Head of Communications, Cork Airport
Tel 086 2440195
Email kevin.cullinane@corkairport.com
About Cork Airport
Cork Airport is the Republic of Ireland’s second busiest and best-connected international airport with connectivity to multiple destinations across the UK and Continental Europe. Passenger numbers at Cork Airport grew from 2.4m in 2018 to 2.6m in 2019, an increase of 8% year-on-year. This resulted in Cork Airport being the fastest growing airport in Ireland in 2019. In 2017, and again in 2019 Cork Airport was named Airport Council International (ACI) Best Airport in Europe in its class (serving under 5 million passengers) and is one of the world’s friendliest airports. Global aviation analysts OAG revealed that Cork Airport topped the punctuality league for international airports in Ireland in 2019 at 84.7%.