Passenger numbers will not take off again in Cork without radical plan

There has been much debate in the media in recent weeks about the continuing decline in air traffic at Cork Airport. Much of it argues that full independence from the Dublin Airport Authority is needed to get passenger numbers back to the level of the last decade.

While any moves to give greater autonomy to the airport are to be welcomed, there is strong evidence that the record 3.3m passengers per year during the boom was built on sand.

Firstly, this figure included 500,000 passengers per annum on what was effectively a shuttle service on the Cork-Dublin route, due to intense competition between Ryanair and Aer Arann. Both airlines have long since withdrawn from the route.