Cork Airport passenger volume same as in 2005

PASSENGER volume at Cork Airport is likely to be the same at the end of this year as it was in 2005, before the new terminal opened.

Bloxham Stockbrokers analyst Joe Gill said despite spending almost €200 million on a new terminal, passenger volume in Cork could be close to 2.8 million this year, not much more than the 2.7m it processed in 2005.

“The large handball alley, aka the new terminal, in Cork Airport is very quiet,” he said.

He also said that in Dublin, Terminal 2 is set for completion in the first half of 2010 and will help build Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) debt up to €1 billion.

“These airports genuinely need all the help they can get to stabilise and re-boot passenger traffic,” he said.

September data from the Irish Aviation Authority showed that the number of aircraft landing and departing from Cork Airport plunged 28.6% in September far ahead of the 18.5% drop in Dublin and 13.3% in Shannon.

This was the highest drop in aircraft movement in Cork this year.

“This measure gives us better insight than passenger volume to the struggle facing the Dublin Airport Authority and, more importantly, travel to and from Ireland,” said Mr Gill.

A spokeswoman for Cork Airport failed to provide any comment on the issue.

Cork Airport is suffering from a cutback in flights in and out of the airport this year and the ending of two Ryanair services to England and Scotland. Ryanair has also pledged that it would not grow its services at the airport because costs are too high.

Last year the board of Cork Airport voted to accept a €113m debt associated with the new terminal in order to allow the airport to gain independence from the DAA.

However, it is likely that the airport will remain under the control of the DAA until at least 2011 as the separation process has been postponed due to the economic crisis.