Airport predicts rise in passengers next year

Cork Airport is predicting passenger numbers through its terminal will grow in 2013 for the first time in five years.

Management said that after the last two years, with 17 new routes introduced, “the airport is looking forward to capitalising on the Gathering next year”.

“Cork Airport is actively pitching to airlines for 2013/2014 and is forecasting positive passenger growth figures in 2013 — the first increase in passenger numbers since 2008.”

On a less positive note, Wizz Air is ceasing three of its routes to and from Cork from January: Warsaw and Wroclaw in Poland, and Vilinius in Lithuania.

The airline will continue its services to the Polish cities of Gdansk, Katowice, and Poznan from Cork.

Wizz Air’s decision came after Ryanair began flights to the same destinations last month. Wizz Air said the routes had “always met low demand and under-performed”.

“With the now existing overcapacity it is commercially sensible to focus on other routes with higher demands instead,” it said.