Irish Examiner view: Cork-Dublin flights

A step backwards?

Cork Airport's passenger numbers could hit more than 2.7m this year.

Daa chief executive Kenny Jacobs sounded an optimistic note yesterday on the future of Cork Airport, revising passenger number forecasts upwards to 2.7m for 2023.

However, it was his views on the possibility of the Cork-Dublin service being restored that will probably generate the most interest, and disquiet.

Can it really be, that as we desperately try to reduce emissions, we would contemplate restarting flights that are shorter than the length of time it takes to read this newspaper?

Mr Jacobs makes a significant point about the need for Ireland to maintain its connectivity with the rest of the world, and Europe in particular.

A new law in France states that any journeys which can be made in less than two and a half hours by train cannot be taken as a flight, thus reducing carbon emissions.

As Mr Jacobs pointed out, however: “We don’t have that choice... You cannot get a train from Cork to the south of France as you can in continental Europe. It can’t be a one-size-fits-all.”

The issue at stake is not easily resolved: Our connectivity must be responsible and ethical, and it must also be maintained.