Airport set for major boost with new services

CORK AIRPORT is expected to get a major boost over the next week with several new services opening out of the airport, the Irish Examiner has learned.

A major announcement on new routes is scheduled for Monday with speculation that the first transatlantic service will begin. There is also speculation that a low cost carrier will also announce it is expanding out of Cork Airport.

The announcements will be the first made by the new board of the Cork Airport Authority, appointed earlier this month. The board is chaired by the former chief executive of Apple Computer company in Ireland Joe Gantly and includes the Beamish & Crawford chief executive Alf Smiddy. A previous attempt by a US tour company to start routes from Cork Airport to New York and Boston fell through because of poor bookings. Aer Lingus is also considering launching new routes out of Cork with some tipping a service to Faro.