Airports’ bumper trade as people escape the rain

MISERABLE weather throughout June has brought bumper business to the country’s airports.

Figures released from Cork and Shannon airports have revealed people are escaping from the rain and abandoning hope of a summer season breaking out on this island.

Cork Airport marketing manager Kevin Cullinane said business was up 9.5% on June 2006 with people snapping up seats to destinations such as Malaga, Alicante and Barcelona.

“Particularly with the weather we have been having here in the last three or four weeks people have been booking up the charter flights to the sun,” he said.

“There has not been an available seat on the weekend flights leaving Cork Airport. The weather here has been the best sales factor of the summer so far.”

An extra 27,300 passengers went through the airport in June with business to Europe soaring 28%.

The figure for London is down but this is explained by the withdrawal of Easyjet services in the past 12 months.

Shannon’s statistics are equally healthy, with a 12% increase on June last year.

The key indicator for sun seekers was the 24% rise in the number of Irish people flying out on resort-bound package holidays during the recent washout.

Dublin Airport will not be releasing its figures until later today.

However, the numbers from the country’s other two main airports reveal the extent of the weather-induced exodus.

The figures back up reports from the Irish Travel Agents’ Association (ITAA) which said its members were inundated with booking requests for holidays.

Last week, the ITAA carried out a poll of members and said demand had increased up to 30% from last year.

Chief executive Simon Nugent said Turkey, Portugal and Spain were the most popular destinations so far this season.