Air link targets Munster’s growing Polish population

ONE of Europe’s largest low fares airlines launched its first Irish route to Poland yesterday, targeting the country’s growing Polish population.

Bulgarian-based Wizz Air announced that it will fly from Cork to Katowice, in southern Poland, three times a week from July 14.

There are up to 66,000 Polish nationals with Irish PPS numbers living in Munster.

Wizz Air spokesperson Natasa Kázmér said the airline hoped to carry up to 43,000 passengers on the route in its first year of operations and expand the frequency of flights within a year.

A promotional one-way fare of €51.99 (including taxes and charges) announced yesterday will last until October 28 with booking online at www.wizzair.com before May 31.

Cork Airport’s marketing manager, Kevin Cullinane, welcomed Wizz Air as the 12th airline to operate out of the airport.

“The addition of the Cork-Katowice route is a further example of Cork Airport Authority’s commitment to providing our customers with the widest possible choice of travel destinations,” he said.

The chief executive of Cork Chamber Conor Healy also welcomed the airline’s announcement, which comes just weeks ahead of the planned May 10 opening of the airport’s new passenger terminal.

“It provides a clear signal of the potential that exists for the management team at Cork Airport to secure new business while operating in a fair and competitive environment,” he said.

Wizz Air, which will celebrate its second anniversary next month, is central and eastern Europe’s largest low fare-low cost airline.

It has carried over 3.1 million passengers since its first flight in May 2004.

The airline flies a young fleet of 180-seat Airbus 320 aircraft from Katowice, Warsaw, Gdansk, Poznan and Wroclaw in Poland, from Budapest in Hungary, from Sofia in Bulgaria, from Kaunas in Lithuania, and from Zagreb in Croatia.