Cork to be first Irish airport to reach pre-pandemic passenger numbers

In what has been its busiest year since the pandemic, Cork Airport has welcomed back 85% of its pre-pandemic traffic

Over 130,000 further arrivals and departures are expected over the Christmas season between now and January 6th.

Cork Airport is set to be the first in Ireland to fully recover passenger traffic to pre-pandemic levels, welcoming over 2.2m people throughout 2022. 

This year's figures fall just slightly behind 2019, which saw 2.6m passengers travel through the airport. In its busiest year since the pandemic, a further 130,000 arrivals and departures are expected over the Christmas season between now and January 6th, 2023.

Throughout the year, Cork Airport operated 42 routes, with 2022's winter schedule being their largest, featuring over 1.1m seats across 27 routes. 

In a statement, they said they were well on track to becoming the first state airport to recover passenger traffic to pre-pandemic traffic levels.

New Ryanair flights to Rome and Newcastle were introduced, along with extensions to existing summer routes including services to Valencia, Milan, Venice and Faro.

This Christmas season will be the first to be free of pandemic restrictions in three years, with Managing Director at Cork Airport, Niall MacCarthy commenting on the busy travel season, "We are seeing homecoming passengers, many coming back for the first time since 2019 and some even longer. 

"Lots of Irish residents like to fly out to sun destinations to “warm up” over Christmas and of course, some of our newer residents return to their respective home countries for Christmas to be with their own families."

Cork airport's recovery follows a disappointing year in 2021 for air travel, with Ireland having the smallest growth in air passengers out of all EU countries.

Despite a stall in recovery across Europe in the autumn and winter months, Cork Airport welcomed back 85% of its pre-pandemic traffic in 2022, with a spokesperson saying that it "is well on track to becoming the first state airport to recover passenger traffic to pre-pandemic traffic levels."

With strong numbers expected going into 2023, the International Air Transport Association has also forecasted a strong recovery next year, with Director General, Willie Walsh insisting that airlines will be back in profit in 2023.