Thomas Lyons 
Cork Airport has reported a strong increase in passenger numbers for April, with 250,030 travellers arriving and departing from the airport. This has led to the revision of the airport’s 2023 passenger forecast, with an expected 2.6 million passengers to fly this year. This would mean that the airport is set to return back to its pre-pandemic passenger levels. The operator of the airport, the DAA, had previously predicted that it would take until 2025 before Dublin and Cork airports would see passenger numbers return to the levels seen in 2019.
However, the passenger figures for Cork in April represent a 30% increase on the same month last year, and a 19% increase on April 2019. This is a positive sign for the aviation industry, which has been heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The DAA has also reported that Dublin Airport had another record month for passenger numbers in April, with 2.83 million passengers travelling. In the first four months of 2023, just under 9.5 million passengers have passed through Dublin Airport.
It has been noted that Friday, April 28th was the busiest day at Dublin Airport while Tuesday, April 11th was the busiest for Cork. London Heathrow was the busiest destination for both airports. The DAA’s CEO, Kenny Jacobs, has attributed the increase in passenger numbers to a busy Easter period. He has also stated that the month of May is set to be busy for both Dublin and Cork airports, with large numbers of people expected to travel for major events such as the culmination of the football season in the UK, a number of big rugby matches, including the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals in Dublin, as well as the beginning of the summer concert season, with a string of big gigs set to take place, starting with Bruce Springsteen this weekend.
The resumption of key summer services at Cork Airport, including those to destinations such as Frankfurt, Germany; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and a new route to Bristol, UK provides even more choice for passengers at the busiest and best-connected airport serving the South of Ireland. This is a positive development for the airport and for the wider region, as it will help to boost tourism and business travel. The increase in passenger numbers is a clear indication that people are keen to travel again, and that the aviation industry is starting to recover from the impact of the pandemic.
Overall, the news of Cork Airport’s strong passenger numbers in April is a positive sign for the aviation industry in Ireland. The increase in passenger numbers is a clear indication that people are keen to travel again, and that the industry is starting to recover from the impact of the pandemic. The resumption of key summer services at Cork Airport is also a positive development, as it will help to boost tourism and business travel in the region. With the summer months ahead, it will be interesting to see how passenger numbers continue to develop and whether the industry can continue to recover and grow.
