Testing begins at €160m airport terminal

CORK AIRPORT’S new €160 million terminal passed its first major test yesterday with flying colours.

As the political row over the airport’s debt rumbled on, 500 test bags were passed through its hi-tech baggage handling system as part of the first phase of a commissioning process. There were no hitches.

Bags passed from the terminal’s 31 check-in desks - 28 for check-in baggage, two for hand luggage, and one out-of-gauge desk for large items like golf bags - through a three-stage security screening system and down to the loading area.