Airport Guide
Cork Airport
The Republic of Ireland's third-largest airport, Cork now handles in excess of three million domestic and international passengers a year. As well as serving business travellers commuting to the capital, Dublin, low-cost flights also bring in thousands of tourists every day looking to experience the famous nightlife of the bustling city or use it as a base to explore Ireland's green and largely unspoilt south.
Unlike most air terminals of the British Isles, Cork Airport was established long after the two world wars had finished. With the Irish government agreeing to a new airport in the region in 1957, work was finally completed four years later and in its first year Cork handled some 10,000 passengers, most of whom travelled on daily services to Dublin and England operated by Aer Lingus.
The 1960s saw the airport expand markedly as a result of the introduction of jet-powered planes, a trend which carried on the following decade, which also saw the construction of a new terminal building and offices.
In 1987, the then little-known Ryanair launched a domestic service out of Cork, while between then and 2001, more work was carried out on expanding the runway and improving passenger facilities in order to cope with the booming demand brought about by the low-costs flights revolution.
A new terminal was opened in August 2006. Dubbed Ireland's first 21st-century terminal, the work has set Cork up for many years of future growth.
The airport is located around five miles from the centre of Cork, with regular bus services running between the two and taking about 25 minutes.
Public transportation is also available to the nearby town of Kinsale, while there are connections from Cork to destinations across Ireland, most notably Dublin and Galway.
However, there no train services to the airport meaning those wanting to travel this way will have to head into the city centre either by taxi or bus and get a connection from Kent Station. Regular and affordable train services are available across both County Cork and the whole of the country.
The airline that launched the first flights from Cork, the Irish national carrier Aer Lingus, still operates the greatest number of services out of the airport.
Using Cork as a hub, the airline runs four aircraft to more than a dozen destinations, including Alicante, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Birmingham, Faro, London, Manchester, Munich, Paris, Prague and Rome.
Rival Aer Arran flies to Belfast, Brest, Bristol, Cardiff, Dublin, Edinburgh, Galway, La Rochelle, Leeds/Bradford, Lorient, Nantes and Southampton.
Budget carrier Ryanair operates services to Carcassonne, Dublin, East Midlands, Liverpool and London, while bmibaby jets to Birmingham and Manchester.
Wizz Air heads east to Gdansk, Katowice and Warsaw, while Jet2.com and SkyEurope offer services to Newcastle and Bratislava respectively.
History of Cork Airport
Unlike most air terminals of the British Isles, Cork Airport was established long after the two world wars had finished. With the Irish government agreeing to a new airport in the region in 1957, work was finally completed four years later and in its first year Cork handled some 10,000 passengers, most of whom travelled on daily services to Dublin and England operated by Aer Lingus.
The 1960s saw the airport expand markedly as a result of the introduction of jet-powered planes, a trend which carried on the following decade, which also saw the construction of a new terminal building and offices.
In 1987, the then little-known Ryanair launched a domestic service out of Cork, while between then and 2001, more work was carried out on expanding the runway and improving passenger facilities in order to cope with the booming demand brought about by the low-costs flights revolution.
A new terminal was opened in August 2006. Dubbed Ireland's first 21st-century terminal, the work has set Cork up for many years of future growth.
Travelling to Cork Airport
The airport is located around five miles from the centre of Cork, with regular bus services running between the two and taking about 25 minutes.
Public transportation is also available to the nearby town of Kinsale, while there are connections from Cork to destinations across Ireland, most notably Dublin and Galway.
However, there no train services to the airport meaning those wanting to travel this way will have to head into the city centre either by taxi or bus and get a connection from Kent Station. Regular and affordable train services are available across both County Cork and the whole of the country.
Airlines Flying from Cork
The airline that launched the first flights from Cork, the Irish national carrier Aer Lingus, still operates the greatest number of services out of the airport.
Using Cork as a hub, the airline runs four aircraft to more than a dozen destinations, including Alicante, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Birmingham, Faro, London, Manchester, Munich, Paris, Prague and Rome.
Rival Aer Arran flies to Belfast, Brest, Bristol, Cardiff, Dublin, Edinburgh, Galway, La Rochelle, Leeds/Bradford, Lorient, Nantes and Southampton.
Budget carrier Ryanair operates services to Carcassonne, Dublin, East Midlands, Liverpool and London, while bmibaby jets to Birmingham and Manchester.
Wizz Air heads east to Gdansk, Katowice and Warsaw, while Jet2.com and SkyEurope offer services to Newcastle and Bratislava respectively.