Cork International Airport
Encyclopedia
Cork Airport, is one of the three principal international airport
s of Ireland
, along with Dublin
and Shannon
. It is located 6.5 km (4 mi) south of Cork City
in an area known as Farmers Cross. In 2010, Cork Airport handled 2.43 million passengers, making it the Republic of Ireland
's second busiest airport
in terms of passenger numbers, after Dublin, and fourth busiest on the island of Ireland, after Dublin, Belfast International
and Belfast City
.
. Tenders were invited for the construction of the airport in 1959 at an estimated cost of £1 million. The airport was officially opened on 16 October 1961, following proving flights four days earlier by Aer Lingus and Cambrian Airways
(later taken over by British Airways
). Vincent Fanning was the first manager at the airport http://roe.ie/subjects/webauthoring5/websites2002/it.kathyf/past.html. In its first year the airport handled 10,172 passengers - close to the average number of passengers handled each day at the airport in 2007. Throughout the 1960s the airport expanded with the arrival of more advanced aircraft and more destinations. The first jet, a British Overseas Airways Corporation
(BOAC) Comet
, landed at Cork Airport on 29 March 1964. By 1969 Aer Lingus was operating to London Heathrow
, Manchester and Bristol
.
In 1975 Aer Rianta
(the then state airports authority) undertook a passenger terminal
study aimed at improving the terminal facilities. The findings resulted in the provision, over the next two years, of new departure and arrival halls, a new check-in
area and office complex, a new information desk, duty office and executive lounge. The newly completed extensions and facilities were officially opened in 1978.
. New services to London Gatwick
began, while Aer Lingus' commuter division started a new domestic service to Dublin Airport. In 1985 following significant growth, Aer Rianta carried out a survey of the terminal facilities with a view to carrying out a major expansion and development programme. On 8 June 1987 Ryanair commenced services at Cork Airport. In 1988 Phase I of the Terminal Expansion and Development Plan was completed. The following year the main runway extension of 1000 ft (304.8 m) was opened.
The 1990s began with the completion of Phase II of the Terminal expansion in 1991 and Phase III being completed in 1992. The Terminal Expansion and Development Plan was completed in 1994.
A Great Southern Hotel was opened on the airport grounds during 2001, and plans were drawn up for the construction of a new terminal building and ancillary capital investment works at an estimated cost of €
140 million.
Also towards the end of 2001, new Irish regional airline Aer Arann
opened its second base at Cork opening new routes to/from the airport.
Along with the construction of the terminal, roads were upgraded from single
to dual carriageway
and re-aligned, a new short term multi-storey car park
constructed and key services enhanced to the highest international standards. Airbridges were an integral element of the original terminal design. However, only one airbridge was built because airline representatives from the low-cost carrier
s who use Cork Airport made it clear that they did not want airbridges, would not use them and would not pay for them.
In those circumstances, the DAA had no choice but to remove the airbridges from the terminal design during construction of the new facility. The new terminal was completed with four fixed links to the main building and is designed to accommodate additional airbridges if and when airlines indicate that they wish to avail of them.
In 2005, Ryanair
opened its fifteenth European base and second Irish base at Cork.
The new terminal opened on 15 August 2006. Designed by HOK
and Jacobs Engineering Group
, the new terminal is Ireland's first 21st century airport terminal. In terms of further expansion, the terminal can be extended in the form of additional piers which can be constructed to the north and south.
On 11 April 2008, the board of Cork Airport Authority agreed by one vote to accept responsibility for a debt of €113 million incurred by the Dublin Airport Authority in the redevelopment of Cork Airport in order to secure independence from Dublin Airport. This was despite government commitments that the Cork Airport Authority would be established on a debt-free basis. The Cork Airport Authority Board also stated that their strong reservations about the level of debt that Cork Airport was being levied with and the potential impact on its future sustainability. On 21 April 2008, Cork Airport Authority chairman, Joe Gantly, announced his resignation effective from the end of July 2008 by which time he had completed 5 years service with the board. The current chairmain of Cork Airport Authority is Gerry Walsh.
completed a new control tower 1 km from the old terminal at Cork Airport to the west of the Airport.
The total cost was €7.5 million funded entirely by the IAA with no Government funding. Construction began in August 2007 and was completed in June 2008 but it took until mid October 2009 to get all the new systems tested and working. The new control tower officially opened on 20 October 2009 at 00.01am.
flying. Both fixed wing
and rotary wing
flight training providers operate at the airport. These flying schools are located to the south of the terminal building, on the east side of the main runway. Cork Airport also serves a lot of business jet
s and they are parked near the short-term car park (beside the old terminal) they are very dominant at the airport. Since Bombardier (Bombardier Aerospace
) jets are made in Northern Ireland
a lot of deliveries take place at various Irish airports including Cork Airport.
, Cork Airport is sometimes prone to fog
and a low cloud ceiling
. The Instrument Landing System
has been upgraded to Category II, and together with a 305 m (1,000.7 ft) extension of the main runway has significantly reduced the number of diversions. However during times of severe inclement weather the airport can suffer from delays or diversions to airports such as Shannon, Dublin or Kerry
. Similarly, diversions from these airports occasionally land at Cork.
The length of the main runway dictates that the airport cannot handle fully laden large widebody aircraft. Large wide-bodied aircraft
do visit Cork Airport on a regular basis and usually only operate on ad-hoc charter services for flights to various matches involving the Munster Rugby
team.
From its opening in 1961 the airport was managed by the Department of Transport and Power (now the Department of Transport
). Aer Rianta took control of Cork and Shannon airports on 1 April 1969 and the assets of the airports were transferred to the company under the Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Act, 1998. The name of Aer Rianta was changed to the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) under the State Airports Act 2004, which also created the Cork Airport Authority and the Shannon Airport Authority. These companies were charged with preparing a business plan in preparation for taking over the assets of their airports from the DAA.
On dates yet to be confirmed, the Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities will have the relevant airport assets vested in them and assume full responsibility for the management, development and operation of Cork and Shannon airports respectively. In the interim, the board of the DAA has transferred significant day-to-day operational responsibility, under delegated authority, to the boards of the Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities.
service and an executive lounge. There are also various vending machines throughout the terminal. Paid Internet access
is available throughout the terminal. There are also Wireless Internet Network
services available on a free basis for passengers.
Free internet access is available in the Jack Lynch
lounge for frequent flyers
and business class
passengers.
There are two hotels located adjacent to the passenger terminal Cork International Airport Hotel
located in the Business Park and Radisson Blu Hotel
located directly opposite the terminal on airport grounds.
Cork Airport, is one of the three principal international airport
s of Ireland
, along with Dublin
and Shannon
. It is located 6.5 km (4 mi) south of Cork City
in an area known as Farmers Cross. In 2010, Cork Airport handled 2.43 million passengers, making it the Republic of Ireland
's second busiest airport
in terms of passenger numbers, after Dublin, and fourth busiest on the island of Ireland, after Dublin, Belfast International
and Belfast City
.
. Tenders were invited for the construction of the airport in 1959 at an estimated cost of £1 million. The airport was officially opened on 16 October 1961, following proving flights four days earlier by Aer Lingus and Cambrian Airways
(later taken over by British Airways
). Vincent Fanning was the first manager at the airport http://roe.ie/subjects/webauthoring5/websites2002/it.kathyf/past.html. In its first year the airport handled 10,172 passengers - close to the average number of passengers handled each day at the airport in 2007. Throughout the 1960s the airport expanded with the arrival of more advanced aircraft and more destinations. The first jet, a British Overseas Airways Corporation
(BOAC) Comet
, landed at Cork Airport on 29 March 1964. By 1969 Aer Lingus was operating to London Heathrow
, Manchester and Bristol
.
In 1975 Aer Rianta
(the then state airports authority) undertook a passenger terminal
study aimed at improving the terminal facilities. The findings resulted in the provision, over the next two years, of new departure and arrival halls, a new check-in
area and office complex, a new information desk, duty office and executive lounge. The newly completed extensions and facilities were officially opened in 1978.
. New services to London Gatwick
began, while Aer Lingus' commuter division started a new domestic service to Dublin Airport. In 1985 following significant growth, Aer Rianta carried out a survey of the terminal facilities with a view to carrying out a major expansion and development programme. On 8 June 1987 Ryanair commenced services at Cork Airport. In 1988 Phase I of the Terminal Expansion and Development Plan was completed. The following year the main runway extension of 1000 ft (304.8 m) was opened.
The 1990s began with the completion of Phase II of the Terminal expansion in 1991 and Phase III being completed in 1992. The Terminal Expansion and Development Plan was completed in 1994.
A Great Southern Hotel was opened on the airport grounds during 2001, and plans were drawn up for the construction of a new terminal building and ancillary capital investment works at an estimated cost of €
140 million.
Also towards the end of 2001, new Irish regional airline Aer Arann
opened its second base at Cork opening new routes to/from the airport.
Along with the construction of the terminal, roads were upgraded from single
to dual carriageway
and re-aligned, a new short term multi-storey car park
constructed and key services enhanced to the highest international standards. Airbridges were an integral element of the original terminal design. However, only one airbridge was built because airline representatives from the low-cost carrier
s who use Cork Airport made it clear that they did not want airbridges, would not use them and would not pay for them.
In those circumstances, the DAA had no choice but to remove the airbridges from the terminal design during construction of the new facility. The new terminal was completed with four fixed links to the main building and is designed to accommodate additional airbridges if and when airlines indicate that they wish to avail of them.
In 2005, Ryanair
opened its fifteenth European base and second Irish base at Cork.
The new terminal opened on 15 August 2006. Designed by HOK
and Jacobs Engineering Group
, the new terminal is Ireland's first 21st century airport terminal. In terms of further expansion, the terminal can be extended in the form of additional piers which can be constructed to the north and south.
On 11 April 2008, the board of Cork Airport Authority agreed by one vote to accept responsibility for a debt of €113 million incurred by the Dublin Airport Authority in the redevelopment of Cork Airport in order to secure independence from Dublin Airport. This was despite government commitments that the Cork Airport Authority would be established on a debt-free basis. The Cork Airport Authority Board also stated that their strong reservations about the level of debt that Cork Airport was being levied with and the potential impact on its future sustainability. On 21 April 2008, Cork Airport Authority chairman, Joe Gantly, announced his resignation effective from the end of July 2008 by which time he had completed 5 years service with the board. The current chairmain of Cork Airport Authority is Gerry Walsh.
completed a new control tower 1 km from the old terminal at Cork Airport to the west of the Airport.
The total cost was €7.5 million funded entirely by the IAA with no Government funding. Construction began in August 2007 and was completed in June 2008 but it took until mid October 2009 to get all the new systems tested and working. The new control tower officially opened on 20 October 2009 at 00.01am.
flying. Both fixed wing
and rotary wing
flight training providers operate at the airport. These flying schools are located to the south of the terminal building, on the east side of the main runway. Cork Airport also serves a lot of business jet
s and they are parked near the short-term car park (beside the old terminal) they are very dominant at the airport. Since Bombardier (Bombardier Aerospace
) jets are made in Northern Ireland
a lot of deliveries take place at various Irish airports including Cork Airport.
, Cork Airport is sometimes prone to fog
and a low cloud ceiling
. The Instrument Landing System
has been upgraded to Category II, and together with a 305 m (1,000.7 ft) extension of the main runway has significantly reduced the number of diversions. However during times of severe inclement weather the airport can suffer from delays or diversions to airports such as Shannon, Dublin or Kerry
. Similarly, diversions from these airports occasionally land at Cork.
The length of the main runway dictates that the airport cannot handle fully laden large widebody aircraft. Large wide-bodied aircraft
do visit Cork Airport on a regular basis and usually only operate on ad-hoc charter services for flights to various matches involving the Munster Rugby
team.
From its opening in 1961 the airport was managed by the Department of Transport and Power (now the Department of Transport
). Aer Rianta took control of Cork and Shannon airports on 1 April 1969 and the assets of the airports were transferred to the company under the Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Act, 1998. The name of Aer Rianta was changed to the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) under the State Airports Act 2004, which also created the Cork Airport Authority and the Shannon Airport Authority. These companies were charged with preparing a business plan in preparation for taking over the assets of their airports from the DAA.
On dates yet to be confirmed, the Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities will have the relevant airport assets vested in them and assume full responsibility for the management, development and operation of Cork and Shannon airports respectively. In the interim, the board of the DAA has transferred significant day-to-day operational responsibility, under delegated authority, to the boards of the Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities.
service and an executive lounge. There are also various vending machines throughout the terminal. Paid Internet access
is available throughout the terminal. There are also Wireless Internet Network
services available on a free basis for passengers.
Free internet access is available in the Jack Lynch
lounge for frequent flyers
and business class
passengers.
There are two hotels located adjacent to the passenger terminal Cork International Airport Hotel
located in the Business Park and Radisson Blu Hotel
located directly opposite the terminal on airport grounds.
Cork Airport, is one of the three principal international airport
s of Ireland
, along with Dublin
and Shannon
. It is located 6.5 km (4 mi) south of Cork City
in an area known as Farmers Cross. In 2010, Cork Airport handled 2.43 million passengers, making it the Republic of Ireland
's second busiest airport
in terms of passenger numbers, after Dublin, and fourth busiest on the island of Ireland, after Dublin, Belfast International
and Belfast City
.
. Tenders were invited for the construction of the airport in 1959 at an estimated cost of £1 million. The airport was officially opened on 16 October 1961, following proving flights four days earlier by Aer Lingus and Cambrian Airways
(later taken over by British Airways
). Vincent Fanning was the first manager at the airport http://roe.ie/subjects/webauthoring5/websites2002/it.kathyf/past.html. In its first year the airport handled 10,172 passengers - close to the average number of passengers handled each day at the airport in 2007. Throughout the 1960s the airport expanded with the arrival of more advanced aircraft and more destinations. The first jet, a British Overseas Airways Corporation
(BOAC) Comet
, landed at Cork Airport on 29 March 1964. By 1969 Aer Lingus was operating to London Heathrow
, Manchester and Bristol
.
In 1975 Aer Rianta
(the then state airports authority) undertook a passenger terminal
study aimed at improving the terminal facilities. The findings resulted in the provision, over the next two years, of new departure and arrival halls, a new check-in
area and office complex, a new information desk, duty office and executive lounge. The newly completed extensions and facilities were officially opened in 1978.
. New services to London Gatwick
began, while Aer Lingus' commuter division started a new domestic service to Dublin Airport. In 1985 following significant growth, Aer Rianta carried out a survey of the terminal facilities with a view to carrying out a major expansion and development programme. On 8 June 1987 Ryanair commenced services at Cork Airport. In 1988 Phase I of the Terminal Expansion and Development Plan was completed. The following year the main runway extension of 1000 ft (304.8 m) was opened.
The 1990s began with the completion of Phase II of the Terminal expansion in 1991 and Phase III being completed in 1992. The Terminal Expansion and Development Plan was completed in 1994.
A Great Southern Hotel was opened on the airport grounds during 2001, and plans were drawn up for the construction of a new terminal building and ancillary capital investment works at an estimated cost of €
140 million.
Also towards the end of 2001, new Irish regional airline Aer Arann
opened its second base at Cork opening new routes to/from the airport.
Along with the construction of the terminal, roads were upgraded from single
to dual carriageway
and re-aligned, a new short term multi-storey car park
constructed and key services enhanced to the highest international standards. Airbridges were an integral element of the original terminal design. However, only one airbridge was built because airline representatives from the low-cost carrier
s who use Cork Airport made it clear that they did not want airbridges, would not use them and would not pay for them.
In those circumstances, the DAA had no choice but to remove the airbridges from the terminal design during construction of the new facility. The new terminal was completed with four fixed links to the main building and is designed to accommodate additional airbridges if and when airlines indicate that they wish to avail of them.
In 2005, Ryanair
opened its fifteenth European base and second Irish base at Cork.
The new terminal opened on 15 August 2006. Designed by HOK
and Jacobs Engineering Group
, the new terminal is Ireland's first 21st century airport terminal. In terms of further expansion, the terminal can be extended in the form of additional piers which can be constructed to the north and south.
On 11 April 2008, the board of Cork Airport Authority agreed by one vote to accept responsibility for a debt of €113 million incurred by the Dublin Airport Authority in the redevelopment of Cork Airport in order to secure independence from Dublin Airport. This was despite government commitments that the Cork Airport Authority would be established on a debt-free basis. The Cork Airport Authority Board also stated that their strong reservations about the level of debt that Cork Airport was being levied with and the potential impact on its future sustainability. On 21 April 2008, Cork Airport Authority chairman, Joe Gantly, announced his resignation effective from the end of July 2008 by which time he had completed 5 years service with the board. The current chairmain of Cork Airport Authority is Gerry Walsh.
completed a new control tower 1 km from the old terminal at Cork Airport to the west of the Airport.
The total cost was €7.5 million funded entirely by the IAA with no Government funding. Construction began in August 2007 and was completed in June 2008 but it took until mid October 2009 to get all the new systems tested and working. The new control tower officially opened on 20 October 2009 at 00.01am.
flying. Both fixed wing
and rotary wing
flight training providers operate at the airport. These flying schools are located to the south of the terminal building, on the east side of the main runway. Cork Airport also serves a lot of business jet
s and they are parked near the short-term car park (beside the old terminal) they are very dominant at the airport. Since Bombardier (Bombardier Aerospace
) jets are made in Northern Ireland
a lot of deliveries take place at various Irish airports including Cork Airport.
, Cork Airport is sometimes prone to fog
and a low cloud ceiling
. The Instrument Landing System
has been upgraded to Category II, and together with a 305 m (1,000.7 ft) extension of the main runway has significantly reduced the number of diversions. However during times of severe inclement weather the airport can suffer from delays or diversions to airports such as Shannon, Dublin or Kerry
. Similarly, diversions from these airports occasionally land at Cork.
The length of the main runway dictates that the airport cannot handle fully laden large widebody aircraft. Large wide-bodied aircraft
do visit Cork Airport on a regular basis and usually only operate on ad-hoc charter services for flights to various matches involving the Munster Rugby
team.
From its opening in 1961 the airport was managed by the Department of Transport and Power (now the Department of Transport
). Aer Rianta took control of Cork and Shannon airports on 1 April 1969 and the assets of the airports were transferred to the company under the Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Act, 1998. The name of Aer Rianta was changed to the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) under the State Airports Act 2004, which also created the Cork Airport Authority and the Shannon Airport Authority. These companies were charged with preparing a business plan in preparation for taking over the assets of their airports from the DAA.
On dates yet to be confirmed, the Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities will have the relevant airport assets vested in them and assume full responsibility for the management, development and operation of Cork and Shannon airports respectively. In the interim, the board of the DAA has transferred significant day-to-day operational responsibility, under delegated authority, to the boards of the Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities.
service and an executive lounge. There are also various vending machines throughout the terminal. Paid Internet access
is available throughout the terminal. There are also Wireless Internet Network
services available on a free basis for passengers.
Free internet access is available in the Jack Lynch
lounge for frequent flyers
and business class
passengers.
There are two hotels located adjacent to the passenger terminal Cork International Airport Hotel
located in the Business Park and Radisson Blu Hotel
located directly opposite the terminal on airport grounds.
1) The Cargo area (Currently located to the North East of the airport) will be moved to the South East of the airport south of Runway 25, the current location of the General Aviation area. In moving here the General Aviation area will be moved directly opposite to the South West of airport just south of Runway 7, work is expected to begin in 2016.
2) Using space from the removal of the Cargo Area the main Terminal will be extended, allowing new fixed gates to be built, effectively doubling the current space for scheduled and charter aircraft using Cork. The old Terminal will be demolished allowing the Terminal to extend also, This means that there is now the provision of two Terminal extensions. These are the extension of the new Terminal out over the cargo area, and the extension of the new Terminal onto the current old Terminal, work is expected to begin in 2017, with the demolition of the old Terminal and work on extending the Terminal will begin when passenger numbers begin to exceed 3m (the current limit of the new Terminal).
3) The main Runway 17/35 will be extended, feasibility studies will be carried out in 2012 after work begins on Phases 1 & 2. This will allow for the provision of Long Haul aircraft (747, 777, A340) to use the airport, work will begin on the extension of the runway when phases 1 & 2 are active.
4) The Road network, Public transport infrastructure will be developed as soon as phases 1 & 2 become active. This will comprise of the renovation of the main N27 which serves the airport to Motorway standard of 3 x 3 lanes in each direction (1 on each side a designated bus lane). A new road will be built from the South link roundabout near Cork University Hospital
and Togher, to the Airport. The main roundabout will be enlarged with under-passes to allow traffic from Cork to Kinsale, or Kinsale to Cork to avoid the roundabout allowing extra capacity on the main roundabout. Work on the renovation of the Roundabout will begin in 2015, but the new roads and upgrade roads will not begin until phases 1 & 2 are active.
Taxi
The airport is also served by taxi
. There is a taxi rank located outside the arrivals entrance.
Road
Cork Airport is conveniently located just 8 kilometres from Cork City Centre on the south end of the N27, when coming from the North, West, or East of Cork and off the R600 when coming from Kinsale
. The M8 motorway
provides a link to the airport for north-east County Cork and County Tipperary.
Car hire
Car hire is available in the arrivals hall of the terminal building, with nine car rental firms located at the airport.
Car parking
Cork Airport Authority operates all Car Parks at Cork Airport and offers both short-term and long-term parking within the airport campus with over 4,600 spaces available in total. Special rates are available for frequent users of car parking facilities at Cork Airport. All car parks operate 24 hours and are regularly patrolled by Airport Police (Ireland).
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
s of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, along with Dublin
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
and Shannon
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
. It is located 6.5 km (4 mi) south of Cork City
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
in an area known as Farmers Cross. In 2010, Cork Airport handled 2.43 million passengers, making it the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
's second busiest airport
Busiest airports in the Republic of Ireland by total passenger traffic
The following table shows 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 passenger traffic statistics for the three largest airports in the Republic of Ireland, ranked by total passenger traffic each year...
in terms of passenger numbers, after Dublin, and fourth busiest on the island of Ireland, after Dublin, Belfast International
Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport is a major airport located northwest of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was formerly known and is still referred to as Aldergrove Airport, after the village of the same name lying immediately to the west of the airport. Belfast International shares its runways with...
and Belfast City
George Best Belfast City Airport
George Best Belfast City Airport is a single-runway airport in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Situated adjacent to the Port of Belfast it is from Belfast City Centre. It shares the site with the Short Brothers/Bombardier aircraft manufacturing facility...
.
1957 to 1979
In 1957 the Government of Ireland agreed in principle to the building of an airport for Cork City. After considering many sites in the area it was agreed that the airport should be built at BallygarvanBallygarvan, County Cork
Ballygarvan is a village south of Cork City, in County Cork, Ireland.The village and surrounding area has a population of between 1000 and 1500 residents. Occupying the eastern half of Ballinhassig parish, the village lies in the valley between Myrtle and Meadstown Hills, beside the River Owenabue...
. Tenders were invited for the construction of the airport in 1959 at an estimated cost of £1 million. The airport was officially opened on 16 October 1961, following proving flights four days earlier by Aer Lingus and Cambrian Airways
Cambrian Airways
Cambrian Airways was a Welsh airline based in Cardiff, Wales, which started operations in 1935. It was incorporated into British Airways in 1976.-Company history:...
(later taken over by British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
). Vincent Fanning was the first manager at the airport http://roe.ie/subjects/webauthoring5/websites2002/it.kathyf/past.html. In its first year the airport handled 10,172 passengers - close to the average number of passengers handled each day at the airport in 2007. Throughout the 1960s the airport expanded with the arrival of more advanced aircraft and more destinations. The first jet, a British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
(BOAC) Comet
De Havilland Comet
The de Havilland DH 106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland at the Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom headquarters, it first flew in 1949 and was a landmark in aeronautical design...
, landed at Cork Airport on 29 March 1964. By 1969 Aer Lingus was operating to London Heathrow
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
, Manchester and Bristol
Bristol International Airport
Bristol Airport , located at Lulsgate Bottom in North Somerset, is the commercial airport serving the city of Bristol, England and the surrounding area. At first it was named Bristol Lulsgate Airport and from March 1997 to March 2010 it was known as Bristol International Airport...
.
In 1975 Aer Rianta
Dublin Airport Authority
Dublin Airport Authority plc is the state-owned airport authority in the Republic of Ireland. With a head office on the grounds of Dublin Airport in Fingal, County Dublin, the authority also owned the Great Southern Hotels which had nine sites throughout the island of Ireland and international...
(the then state airports authority) undertook a passenger terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
study aimed at improving the terminal facilities. The findings resulted in the provision, over the next two years, of new departure and arrival halls, a new check-in
Airport check-in
Airport check-in uses service counters found at commercial airports handling commercial air travel. The check-in is normally handled by an airline itself or a handling agent working on behalf of an airline...
area and office complex, a new information desk, duty office and executive lounge. The newly completed extensions and facilities were officially opened in 1978.
1979 to 2000
The 1980s began with an extension of the main apronAirport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
. New services to London Gatwick
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
began, while Aer Lingus' commuter division started a new domestic service to Dublin Airport. In 1985 following significant growth, Aer Rianta carried out a survey of the terminal facilities with a view to carrying out a major expansion and development programme. On 8 June 1987 Ryanair commenced services at Cork Airport. In 1988 Phase I of the Terminal Expansion and Development Plan was completed. The following year the main runway extension of 1000 ft (304.8 m) was opened.
The 1990s began with the completion of Phase II of the Terminal expansion in 1991 and Phase III being completed in 1992. The Terminal Expansion and Development Plan was completed in 1994.
2001 to date
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
140 million.
Also towards the end of 2001, new Irish regional airline Aer Arann
Aer Arann
Aer Arann is a regional airline based in Dublin, Ireland. Aer Arann operates scheduled services from Ireland and the Isle of Man to destinations in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France, with a fleet of 18 aircraft. Aer Arann has expanded from a single aircraft to Ireland's third largest airline...
opened its second base at Cork opening new routes to/from the airport.
Along with the construction of the terminal, roads were upgraded from single
Single carriageway
A single carriageway is a road with 1, 2 or more lanes arranged within a single carriageway with no central reservation to separate opposing flows of traffic. Two-lane road or two-lane highway are single carriageway with one lane for each direction...
to dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
and re-aligned, a new short term multi-storey car park
Multi-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
constructed and key services enhanced to the highest international standards. Airbridges were an integral element of the original terminal design. However, only one airbridge was built because airline representatives from the low-cost carrier
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
s who use Cork Airport made it clear that they did not want airbridges, would not use them and would not pay for them.
In those circumstances, the DAA had no choice but to remove the airbridges from the terminal design during construction of the new facility. The new terminal was completed with four fixed links to the main building and is designed to accommodate additional airbridges if and when airlines indicate that they wish to avail of them.
In 2005, Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
opened its fifteenth European base and second Irish base at Cork.
The new terminal opened on 15 August 2006. Designed by HOK
Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum
HOK is a global architecture, interiors, engineering, planning and consulting firm. HOK is the largest U.S.-based architecture-engineering firm and the "No. 1 role model for sustainable and high-performance design." HOK also is the second-largest interior design firm...
and Jacobs Engineering Group
Jacobs Engineering Group
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., a publicly traded company with over 50,000 employees and 2010 revenues of nearly $10 billion, provides technical, professional, and construction services globally. Headquartered in Pasadena, California, it was founded in 1947 by Dr. Joseph J. Jacobs. Jacobs offers...
, the new terminal is Ireland's first 21st century airport terminal. In terms of further expansion, the terminal can be extended in the form of additional piers which can be constructed to the north and south.
On 11 April 2008, the board of Cork Airport Authority agreed by one vote to accept responsibility for a debt of €113 million incurred by the Dublin Airport Authority in the redevelopment of Cork Airport in order to secure independence from Dublin Airport. This was despite government commitments that the Cork Airport Authority would be established on a debt-free basis. The Cork Airport Authority Board also stated that their strong reservations about the level of debt that Cork Airport was being levied with and the potential impact on its future sustainability. On 21 April 2008, Cork Airport Authority chairman, Joe Gantly, announced his resignation effective from the end of July 2008 by which time he had completed 5 years service with the board. The current chairmain of Cork Airport Authority is Gerry Walsh.
New control tower
The Irish Aviation AuthorityIrish Aviation Authority
The Irish Aviation Authority is a commercial semi state company employing approximately 700 people at six locations around Ireland. The IAA has two main functions; the provision of air traffic management & related services in Irish controlled airspace and the safety regulation of the civil...
completed a new control tower 1 km from the old terminal at Cork Airport to the west of the Airport.
The total cost was €7.5 million funded entirely by the IAA with no Government funding. Construction began in August 2007 and was completed in June 2008 but it took until mid October 2009 to get all the new systems tested and working. The new control tower officially opened on 20 October 2009 at 00.01am.
General aviation and business jets
Cork Airport has a long tradition of general aviationGeneral aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
flying. Both fixed wing
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
and rotary wing
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
flight training providers operate at the airport. These flying schools are located to the south of the terminal building, on the east side of the main runway. Cork Airport also serves a lot of business jet
Business jet
Business jet, private jet or, colloquially, bizjet is a term describing a jet aircraft, usually of smaller size, designed for transporting groups of up to 19 business people or wealthy individuals...
s and they are parked near the short-term car park (beside the old terminal) they are very dominant at the airport. Since Bombardier (Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...
) jets are made in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
a lot of deliveries take place at various Irish airports including Cork Airport.
Geographical situation
With an elevation of 153 m (502 ft) above sea levelSea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, Cork Airport is sometimes prone to fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
and a low cloud ceiling
Ceiling (cloud)
- ICAO :The height above the ground or water of the base of the lowest layer of cloud below 6000 meters covering more than halfthe sky.- United Kingdom :...
. The Instrument Landing System
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
has been upgraded to Category II, and together with a 305 m (1,000.7 ft) extension of the main runway has significantly reduced the number of diversions. However during times of severe inclement weather the airport can suffer from delays or diversions to airports such as Shannon, Dublin or Kerry
Kerry Airport
-Ground transportation:Kerry Airport is approximately from both Cork and Limerick. Iarnród Éireann's Farranfore railway station is located to the south with services to Killarney, Tralee, Cork and Dublin....
. Similarly, diversions from these airports occasionally land at Cork.
The length of the main runway dictates that the airport cannot handle fully laden large widebody aircraft. Large wide-bodied aircraft
Wide-body aircraft
A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a widebody aircraft or twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers...
do visit Cork Airport on a regular basis and usually only operate on ad-hoc charter services for flights to various matches involving the Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
team.
Operator
Department of Transport (Ireland)
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for transport policy and overseeing transport services and infrastructure. The Department is led by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport who is assisted by two Ministers of State...
). Aer Rianta took control of Cork and Shannon airports on 1 April 1969 and the assets of the airports were transferred to the company under the Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Act, 1998. The name of Aer Rianta was changed to the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) under the State Airports Act 2004, which also created the Cork Airport Authority and the Shannon Airport Authority. These companies were charged with preparing a business plan in preparation for taking over the assets of their airports from the DAA.
On dates yet to be confirmed, the Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities will have the relevant airport assets vested in them and assume full responsibility for the management, development and operation of Cork and Shannon airports respectively. In the interim, the board of the DAA has transferred significant day-to-day operational responsibility, under delegated authority, to the boards of the Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities.
Passenger facilities
The new terminal at Cork Airport contains several shopping and eating facilities both before and after the security screening area, a bank with bureau de changeBureau de Change
A bureau de change or currency exchange is a business whose customers exchange one currency for another. Although originally French, the term bureau de change is widely used throughout Europe, and European travellers can usually easily identify these facilities when in other European countries...
service and an executive lounge. There are also various vending machines throughout the terminal. Paid Internet access
Internet access
Many technologies and service plans for Internet access allow customers to connect to the Internet.Consumer use first became popular through dial-up connections in the 20th century....
is available throughout the terminal. There are also Wireless Internet Network
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
services available on a free basis for passengers.
Free internet access is available in the Jack Lynch
Jack Lynch
John Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979....
lounge for frequent flyers
Frequent flyer program
A frequent flyer program is a loyalty program offered by many airlines. Typically, airline customers enrolled in the program accumulate frequent flyer miles corresponding to the distance flown on that airline or its partners. There are other ways to accumulate miles...
and business class
Business class
Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names which vary by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now...
passengers.
There are two hotels located adjacent to the passenger terminal Cork International Airport Hotel
Cork International Airport Hotel
Cork International Airport Hotel is a hotel located in Cork Airport, in the grounds of the Airport Business Park. It is owned and operated by the Tifco Hotels Group. It was officially opened on 1 July 2007. The hotel, which is within a five-minute walk of Cork Airport, is styled mainly around an...
located in the Business Park and Radisson Blu Hotel
Radisson Hotels
Radisson Hotels is one of the leading, full-service global hotel companies with more than 420 locations in 73 countries. The first Radisson Hotel was built in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1909, and was named after the 17th-century French explorer Pierre-Esprit Radisson...
located directly opposite the terminal on airport grounds.
Development plans
Cork Airport has, development plans that will effectively treble the size of the current airport, the airport will be developed over a phased basis from 2015 in phases numbered below.Cork Airport, is one of the three principal international airport
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
s of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, along with Dublin
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
and Shannon
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
. It is located 6.5 km (4 mi) south of Cork City
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
in an area known as Farmers Cross. In 2010, Cork Airport handled 2.43 million passengers, making it the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
's second busiest airport
Busiest airports in the Republic of Ireland by total passenger traffic
The following table shows 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 passenger traffic statistics for the three largest airports in the Republic of Ireland, ranked by total passenger traffic each year...
in terms of passenger numbers, after Dublin, and fourth busiest on the island of Ireland, after Dublin, Belfast International
Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport is a major airport located northwest of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was formerly known and is still referred to as Aldergrove Airport, after the village of the same name lying immediately to the west of the airport. Belfast International shares its runways with...
and Belfast City
George Best Belfast City Airport
George Best Belfast City Airport is a single-runway airport in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Situated adjacent to the Port of Belfast it is from Belfast City Centre. It shares the site with the Short Brothers/Bombardier aircraft manufacturing facility...
.
1957 to 1979
In 1957 the Government of Ireland agreed in principle to the building of an airport for Cork City. After considering many sites in the area it was agreed that the airport should be built at BallygarvanBallygarvan, County Cork
Ballygarvan is a village south of Cork City, in County Cork, Ireland.The village and surrounding area has a population of between 1000 and 1500 residents. Occupying the eastern half of Ballinhassig parish, the village lies in the valley between Myrtle and Meadstown Hills, beside the River Owenabue...
. Tenders were invited for the construction of the airport in 1959 at an estimated cost of £1 million. The airport was officially opened on 16 October 1961, following proving flights four days earlier by Aer Lingus and Cambrian Airways
Cambrian Airways
Cambrian Airways was a Welsh airline based in Cardiff, Wales, which started operations in 1935. It was incorporated into British Airways in 1976.-Company history:...
(later taken over by British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
). Vincent Fanning was the first manager at the airport http://roe.ie/subjects/webauthoring5/websites2002/it.kathyf/past.html. In its first year the airport handled 10,172 passengers - close to the average number of passengers handled each day at the airport in 2007. Throughout the 1960s the airport expanded with the arrival of more advanced aircraft and more destinations. The first jet, a British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
(BOAC) Comet
De Havilland Comet
The de Havilland DH 106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland at the Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom headquarters, it first flew in 1949 and was a landmark in aeronautical design...
, landed at Cork Airport on 29 March 1964. By 1969 Aer Lingus was operating to London Heathrow
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
, Manchester and Bristol
Bristol International Airport
Bristol Airport , located at Lulsgate Bottom in North Somerset, is the commercial airport serving the city of Bristol, England and the surrounding area. At first it was named Bristol Lulsgate Airport and from March 1997 to March 2010 it was known as Bristol International Airport...
.
In 1975 Aer Rianta
Dublin Airport Authority
Dublin Airport Authority plc is the state-owned airport authority in the Republic of Ireland. With a head office on the grounds of Dublin Airport in Fingal, County Dublin, the authority also owned the Great Southern Hotels which had nine sites throughout the island of Ireland and international...
(the then state airports authority) undertook a passenger terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
study aimed at improving the terminal facilities. The findings resulted in the provision, over the next two years, of new departure and arrival halls, a new check-in
Airport check-in
Airport check-in uses service counters found at commercial airports handling commercial air travel. The check-in is normally handled by an airline itself or a handling agent working on behalf of an airline...
area and office complex, a new information desk, duty office and executive lounge. The newly completed extensions and facilities were officially opened in 1978.
1979 to 2000
The 1980s began with an extension of the main apronAirport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
. New services to London Gatwick
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
began, while Aer Lingus' commuter division started a new domestic service to Dublin Airport. In 1985 following significant growth, Aer Rianta carried out a survey of the terminal facilities with a view to carrying out a major expansion and development programme. On 8 June 1987 Ryanair commenced services at Cork Airport. In 1988 Phase I of the Terminal Expansion and Development Plan was completed. The following year the main runway extension of 1000 ft (304.8 m) was opened.
The 1990s began with the completion of Phase II of the Terminal expansion in 1991 and Phase III being completed in 1992. The Terminal Expansion and Development Plan was completed in 1994.
2001 to date
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
140 million.
Also towards the end of 2001, new Irish regional airline Aer Arann
Aer Arann
Aer Arann is a regional airline based in Dublin, Ireland. Aer Arann operates scheduled services from Ireland and the Isle of Man to destinations in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France, with a fleet of 18 aircraft. Aer Arann has expanded from a single aircraft to Ireland's third largest airline...
opened its second base at Cork opening new routes to/from the airport.
Along with the construction of the terminal, roads were upgraded from single
Single carriageway
A single carriageway is a road with 1, 2 or more lanes arranged within a single carriageway with no central reservation to separate opposing flows of traffic. Two-lane road or two-lane highway are single carriageway with one lane for each direction...
to dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
and re-aligned, a new short term multi-storey car park
Multi-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
constructed and key services enhanced to the highest international standards. Airbridges were an integral element of the original terminal design. However, only one airbridge was built because airline representatives from the low-cost carrier
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
s who use Cork Airport made it clear that they did not want airbridges, would not use them and would not pay for them.
In those circumstances, the DAA had no choice but to remove the airbridges from the terminal design during construction of the new facility. The new terminal was completed with four fixed links to the main building and is designed to accommodate additional airbridges if and when airlines indicate that they wish to avail of them.
In 2005, Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
opened its fifteenth European base and second Irish base at Cork.
The new terminal opened on 15 August 2006. Designed by HOK
Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum
HOK is a global architecture, interiors, engineering, planning and consulting firm. HOK is the largest U.S.-based architecture-engineering firm and the "No. 1 role model for sustainable and high-performance design." HOK also is the second-largest interior design firm...
and Jacobs Engineering Group
Jacobs Engineering Group
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., a publicly traded company with over 50,000 employees and 2010 revenues of nearly $10 billion, provides technical, professional, and construction services globally. Headquartered in Pasadena, California, it was founded in 1947 by Dr. Joseph J. Jacobs. Jacobs offers...
, the new terminal is Ireland's first 21st century airport terminal. In terms of further expansion, the terminal can be extended in the form of additional piers which can be constructed to the north and south.
On 11 April 2008, the board of Cork Airport Authority agreed by one vote to accept responsibility for a debt of €113 million incurred by the Dublin Airport Authority in the redevelopment of Cork Airport in order to secure independence from Dublin Airport. This was despite government commitments that the Cork Airport Authority would be established on a debt-free basis. The Cork Airport Authority Board also stated that their strong reservations about the level of debt that Cork Airport was being levied with and the potential impact on its future sustainability. On 21 April 2008, Cork Airport Authority chairman, Joe Gantly, announced his resignation effective from the end of July 2008 by which time he had completed 5 years service with the board. The current chairmain of Cork Airport Authority is Gerry Walsh.
New control tower
The Irish Aviation AuthorityIrish Aviation Authority
The Irish Aviation Authority is a commercial semi state company employing approximately 700 people at six locations around Ireland. The IAA has two main functions; the provision of air traffic management & related services in Irish controlled airspace and the safety regulation of the civil...
completed a new control tower 1 km from the old terminal at Cork Airport to the west of the Airport.
The total cost was €7.5 million funded entirely by the IAA with no Government funding. Construction began in August 2007 and was completed in June 2008 but it took until mid October 2009 to get all the new systems tested and working. The new control tower officially opened on 20 October 2009 at 00.01am.
General aviation and business jets
Cork Airport has a long tradition of general aviationGeneral aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
flying. Both fixed wing
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
and rotary wing
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
flight training providers operate at the airport. These flying schools are located to the south of the terminal building, on the east side of the main runway. Cork Airport also serves a lot of business jet
Business jet
Business jet, private jet or, colloquially, bizjet is a term describing a jet aircraft, usually of smaller size, designed for transporting groups of up to 19 business people or wealthy individuals...
s and they are parked near the short-term car park (beside the old terminal) they are very dominant at the airport. Since Bombardier (Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...
) jets are made in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
a lot of deliveries take place at various Irish airports including Cork Airport.
Geographical situation
With an elevation of 153 m (502 ft) above sea levelSea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, Cork Airport is sometimes prone to fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
and a low cloud ceiling
Ceiling (cloud)
- ICAO :The height above the ground or water of the base of the lowest layer of cloud below 6000 meters covering more than halfthe sky.- United Kingdom :...
. The Instrument Landing System
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
has been upgraded to Category II, and together with a 305 m (1,000.7 ft) extension of the main runway has significantly reduced the number of diversions. However during times of severe inclement weather the airport can suffer from delays or diversions to airports such as Shannon, Dublin or Kerry
Kerry Airport
-Ground transportation:Kerry Airport is approximately from both Cork and Limerick. Iarnród Éireann's Farranfore railway station is located to the south with services to Killarney, Tralee, Cork and Dublin....
. Similarly, diversions from these airports occasionally land at Cork.
The length of the main runway dictates that the airport cannot handle fully laden large widebody aircraft. Large wide-bodied aircraft
Wide-body aircraft
A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a widebody aircraft or twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers...
do visit Cork Airport on a regular basis and usually only operate on ad-hoc charter services for flights to various matches involving the Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
team.
Operator
Department of Transport (Ireland)
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for transport policy and overseeing transport services and infrastructure. The Department is led by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport who is assisted by two Ministers of State...
). Aer Rianta took control of Cork and Shannon airports on 1 April 1969 and the assets of the airports were transferred to the company under the Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Act, 1998. The name of Aer Rianta was changed to the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) under the State Airports Act 2004, which also created the Cork Airport Authority and the Shannon Airport Authority. These companies were charged with preparing a business plan in preparation for taking over the assets of their airports from the DAA.
On dates yet to be confirmed, the Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities will have the relevant airport assets vested in them and assume full responsibility for the management, development and operation of Cork and Shannon airports respectively. In the interim, the board of the DAA has transferred significant day-to-day operational responsibility, under delegated authority, to the boards of the Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities.
Passenger facilities
The new terminal at Cork Airport contains several shopping and eating facilities both before and after the security screening area, a bank with bureau de changeBureau de Change
A bureau de change or currency exchange is a business whose customers exchange one currency for another. Although originally French, the term bureau de change is widely used throughout Europe, and European travellers can usually easily identify these facilities when in other European countries...
service and an executive lounge. There are also various vending machines throughout the terminal. Paid Internet access
Internet access
Many technologies and service plans for Internet access allow customers to connect to the Internet.Consumer use first became popular through dial-up connections in the 20th century....
is available throughout the terminal. There are also Wireless Internet Network
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
services available on a free basis for passengers.
Free internet access is available in the Jack Lynch
Jack Lynch
John Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979....
lounge for frequent flyers
Frequent flyer program
A frequent flyer program is a loyalty program offered by many airlines. Typically, airline customers enrolled in the program accumulate frequent flyer miles corresponding to the distance flown on that airline or its partners. There are other ways to accumulate miles...
and business class
Business class
Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names which vary by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now...
passengers.
There are two hotels located adjacent to the passenger terminal Cork International Airport Hotel
Cork International Airport Hotel
Cork International Airport Hotel is a hotel located in Cork Airport, in the grounds of the Airport Business Park. It is owned and operated by the Tifco Hotels Group. It was officially opened on 1 July 2007. The hotel, which is within a five-minute walk of Cork Airport, is styled mainly around an...
located in the Business Park and Radisson Blu Hotel
Radisson Hotels
Radisson Hotels is one of the leading, full-service global hotel companies with more than 420 locations in 73 countries. The first Radisson Hotel was built in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1909, and was named after the 17th-century French explorer Pierre-Esprit Radisson...
located directly opposite the terminal on airport grounds.
Development plans
Cork Airport has, development plans that will effectively treble the size of the current airport, the airport will be developed over a phased basis from 2015 in phases numbered below.Cork Airport, is one of the three principal international airport
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
s of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, along with Dublin
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
and Shannon
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
. It is located 6.5 km (4 mi) south of Cork City
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
in an area known as Farmers Cross. In 2010, Cork Airport handled 2.43 million passengers, making it the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
's second busiest airport
Busiest airports in the Republic of Ireland by total passenger traffic
The following table shows 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 passenger traffic statistics for the three largest airports in the Republic of Ireland, ranked by total passenger traffic each year...
in terms of passenger numbers, after Dublin, and fourth busiest on the island of Ireland, after Dublin, Belfast International
Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport is a major airport located northwest of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was formerly known and is still referred to as Aldergrove Airport, after the village of the same name lying immediately to the west of the airport. Belfast International shares its runways with...
and Belfast City
George Best Belfast City Airport
George Best Belfast City Airport is a single-runway airport in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Situated adjacent to the Port of Belfast it is from Belfast City Centre. It shares the site with the Short Brothers/Bombardier aircraft manufacturing facility...
.
1957 to 1979
In 1957 the Government of Ireland agreed in principle to the building of an airport for Cork City. After considering many sites in the area it was agreed that the airport should be built at BallygarvanBallygarvan, County Cork
Ballygarvan is a village south of Cork City, in County Cork, Ireland.The village and surrounding area has a population of between 1000 and 1500 residents. Occupying the eastern half of Ballinhassig parish, the village lies in the valley between Myrtle and Meadstown Hills, beside the River Owenabue...
. Tenders were invited for the construction of the airport in 1959 at an estimated cost of £1 million. The airport was officially opened on 16 October 1961, following proving flights four days earlier by Aer Lingus and Cambrian Airways
Cambrian Airways
Cambrian Airways was a Welsh airline based in Cardiff, Wales, which started operations in 1935. It was incorporated into British Airways in 1976.-Company history:...
(later taken over by British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
). Vincent Fanning was the first manager at the airport http://roe.ie/subjects/webauthoring5/websites2002/it.kathyf/past.html. In its first year the airport handled 10,172 passengers - close to the average number of passengers handled each day at the airport in 2007. Throughout the 1960s the airport expanded with the arrival of more advanced aircraft and more destinations. The first jet, a British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
(BOAC) Comet
De Havilland Comet
The de Havilland DH 106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland at the Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom headquarters, it first flew in 1949 and was a landmark in aeronautical design...
, landed at Cork Airport on 29 March 1964. By 1969 Aer Lingus was operating to London Heathrow
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
, Manchester and Bristol
Bristol International Airport
Bristol Airport , located at Lulsgate Bottom in North Somerset, is the commercial airport serving the city of Bristol, England and the surrounding area. At first it was named Bristol Lulsgate Airport and from March 1997 to March 2010 it was known as Bristol International Airport...
.
In 1975 Aer Rianta
Dublin Airport Authority
Dublin Airport Authority plc is the state-owned airport authority in the Republic of Ireland. With a head office on the grounds of Dublin Airport in Fingal, County Dublin, the authority also owned the Great Southern Hotels which had nine sites throughout the island of Ireland and international...
(the then state airports authority) undertook a passenger terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
study aimed at improving the terminal facilities. The findings resulted in the provision, over the next two years, of new departure and arrival halls, a new check-in
Airport check-in
Airport check-in uses service counters found at commercial airports handling commercial air travel. The check-in is normally handled by an airline itself or a handling agent working on behalf of an airline...
area and office complex, a new information desk, duty office and executive lounge. The newly completed extensions and facilities were officially opened in 1978.
1979 to 2000
The 1980s began with an extension of the main apronAirport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
. New services to London Gatwick
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
began, while Aer Lingus' commuter division started a new domestic service to Dublin Airport. In 1985 following significant growth, Aer Rianta carried out a survey of the terminal facilities with a view to carrying out a major expansion and development programme. On 8 June 1987 Ryanair commenced services at Cork Airport. In 1988 Phase I of the Terminal Expansion and Development Plan was completed. The following year the main runway extension of 1000 ft (304.8 m) was opened.
The 1990s began with the completion of Phase II of the Terminal expansion in 1991 and Phase III being completed in 1992. The Terminal Expansion and Development Plan was completed in 1994.
2001 to date
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
140 million.
Also towards the end of 2001, new Irish regional airline Aer Arann
Aer Arann
Aer Arann is a regional airline based in Dublin, Ireland. Aer Arann operates scheduled services from Ireland and the Isle of Man to destinations in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France, with a fleet of 18 aircraft. Aer Arann has expanded from a single aircraft to Ireland's third largest airline...
opened its second base at Cork opening new routes to/from the airport.
Along with the construction of the terminal, roads were upgraded from single
Single carriageway
A single carriageway is a road with 1, 2 or more lanes arranged within a single carriageway with no central reservation to separate opposing flows of traffic. Two-lane road or two-lane highway are single carriageway with one lane for each direction...
to dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
and re-aligned, a new short term multi-storey car park
Multi-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
constructed and key services enhanced to the highest international standards. Airbridges were an integral element of the original terminal design. However, only one airbridge was built because airline representatives from the low-cost carrier
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
s who use Cork Airport made it clear that they did not want airbridges, would not use them and would not pay for them.
In those circumstances, the DAA had no choice but to remove the airbridges from the terminal design during construction of the new facility. The new terminal was completed with four fixed links to the main building and is designed to accommodate additional airbridges if and when airlines indicate that they wish to avail of them.
In 2005, Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
opened its fifteenth European base and second Irish base at Cork.
The new terminal opened on 15 August 2006. Designed by HOK
Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum
HOK is a global architecture, interiors, engineering, planning and consulting firm. HOK is the largest U.S.-based architecture-engineering firm and the "No. 1 role model for sustainable and high-performance design." HOK also is the second-largest interior design firm...
and Jacobs Engineering Group
Jacobs Engineering Group
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., a publicly traded company with over 50,000 employees and 2010 revenues of nearly $10 billion, provides technical, professional, and construction services globally. Headquartered in Pasadena, California, it was founded in 1947 by Dr. Joseph J. Jacobs. Jacobs offers...
, the new terminal is Ireland's first 21st century airport terminal. In terms of further expansion, the terminal can be extended in the form of additional piers which can be constructed to the north and south.
On 11 April 2008, the board of Cork Airport Authority agreed by one vote to accept responsibility for a debt of €113 million incurred by the Dublin Airport Authority in the redevelopment of Cork Airport in order to secure independence from Dublin Airport. This was despite government commitments that the Cork Airport Authority would be established on a debt-free basis. The Cork Airport Authority Board also stated that their strong reservations about the level of debt that Cork Airport was being levied with and the potential impact on its future sustainability. On 21 April 2008, Cork Airport Authority chairman, Joe Gantly, announced his resignation effective from the end of July 2008 by which time he had completed 5 years service with the board. The current chairmain of Cork Airport Authority is Gerry Walsh.
New control tower
The Irish Aviation AuthorityIrish Aviation Authority
The Irish Aviation Authority is a commercial semi state company employing approximately 700 people at six locations around Ireland. The IAA has two main functions; the provision of air traffic management & related services in Irish controlled airspace and the safety regulation of the civil...
completed a new control tower 1 km from the old terminal at Cork Airport to the west of the Airport.
The total cost was €7.5 million funded entirely by the IAA with no Government funding. Construction began in August 2007 and was completed in June 2008 but it took until mid October 2009 to get all the new systems tested and working. The new control tower officially opened on 20 October 2009 at 00.01am.
General aviation and business jets
Cork Airport has a long tradition of general aviationGeneral aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
flying. Both fixed wing
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
and rotary wing
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
flight training providers operate at the airport. These flying schools are located to the south of the terminal building, on the east side of the main runway. Cork Airport also serves a lot of business jet
Business jet
Business jet, private jet or, colloquially, bizjet is a term describing a jet aircraft, usually of smaller size, designed for transporting groups of up to 19 business people or wealthy individuals...
s and they are parked near the short-term car park (beside the old terminal) they are very dominant at the airport. Since Bombardier (Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...
) jets are made in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
a lot of deliveries take place at various Irish airports including Cork Airport.
Geographical situation
With an elevation of 153 m (502 ft) above sea levelSea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, Cork Airport is sometimes prone to fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
and a low cloud ceiling
Ceiling (cloud)
- ICAO :The height above the ground or water of the base of the lowest layer of cloud below 6000 meters covering more than halfthe sky.- United Kingdom :...
. The Instrument Landing System
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
has been upgraded to Category II, and together with a 305 m (1,000.7 ft) extension of the main runway has significantly reduced the number of diversions. However during times of severe inclement weather the airport can suffer from delays or diversions to airports such as Shannon, Dublin or Kerry
Kerry Airport
-Ground transportation:Kerry Airport is approximately from both Cork and Limerick. Iarnród Éireann's Farranfore railway station is located to the south with services to Killarney, Tralee, Cork and Dublin....
. Similarly, diversions from these airports occasionally land at Cork.
The length of the main runway dictates that the airport cannot handle fully laden large widebody aircraft. Large wide-bodied aircraft
Wide-body aircraft
A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a widebody aircraft or twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers...
do visit Cork Airport on a regular basis and usually only operate on ad-hoc charter services for flights to various matches involving the Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
team.
Operator
Department of Transport (Ireland)
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for transport policy and overseeing transport services and infrastructure. The Department is led by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport who is assisted by two Ministers of State...
). Aer Rianta took control of Cork and Shannon airports on 1 April 1969 and the assets of the airports were transferred to the company under the Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Act, 1998. The name of Aer Rianta was changed to the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) under the State Airports Act 2004, which also created the Cork Airport Authority and the Shannon Airport Authority. These companies were charged with preparing a business plan in preparation for taking over the assets of their airports from the DAA.
On dates yet to be confirmed, the Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities will have the relevant airport assets vested in them and assume full responsibility for the management, development and operation of Cork and Shannon airports respectively. In the interim, the board of the DAA has transferred significant day-to-day operational responsibility, under delegated authority, to the boards of the Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities.
Passenger facilities
The new terminal at Cork Airport contains several shopping and eating facilities both before and after the security screening area, a bank with bureau de changeBureau de Change
A bureau de change or currency exchange is a business whose customers exchange one currency for another. Although originally French, the term bureau de change is widely used throughout Europe, and European travellers can usually easily identify these facilities when in other European countries...
service and an executive lounge. There are also various vending machines throughout the terminal. Paid Internet access
Internet access
Many technologies and service plans for Internet access allow customers to connect to the Internet.Consumer use first became popular through dial-up connections in the 20th century....
is available throughout the terminal. There are also Wireless Internet Network
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
services available on a free basis for passengers.
Free internet access is available in the Jack Lynch
Jack Lynch
John Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979....
lounge for frequent flyers
Frequent flyer program
A frequent flyer program is a loyalty program offered by many airlines. Typically, airline customers enrolled in the program accumulate frequent flyer miles corresponding to the distance flown on that airline or its partners. There are other ways to accumulate miles...
and business class
Business class
Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names which vary by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now...
passengers.
There are two hotels located adjacent to the passenger terminal Cork International Airport Hotel
Cork International Airport Hotel
Cork International Airport Hotel is a hotel located in Cork Airport, in the grounds of the Airport Business Park. It is owned and operated by the Tifco Hotels Group. It was officially opened on 1 July 2007. The hotel, which is within a five-minute walk of Cork Airport, is styled mainly around an...
located in the Business Park and Radisson Blu Hotel
Radisson Hotels
Radisson Hotels is one of the leading, full-service global hotel companies with more than 420 locations in 73 countries. The first Radisson Hotel was built in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1909, and was named after the 17th-century French explorer Pierre-Esprit Radisson...
located directly opposite the terminal on airport grounds.
Development plans
Cork Airport has, development plans that will effectively treble the size of the current airport, the airport will be developed over a phased basis from 2015 in phases numbered below.1) The Cargo area (Currently located to the North East of the airport) will be moved to the South East of the airport south of Runway 25, the current location of the General Aviation area. In moving here the General Aviation area will be moved directly opposite to the South West of airport just south of Runway 7, work is expected to begin in 2016.
2) Using space from the removal of the Cargo Area the main Terminal will be extended, allowing new fixed gates to be built, effectively doubling the current space for scheduled and charter aircraft using Cork. The old Terminal will be demolished allowing the Terminal to extend also, This means that there is now the provision of two Terminal extensions. These are the extension of the new Terminal out over the cargo area, and the extension of the new Terminal onto the current old Terminal, work is expected to begin in 2017, with the demolition of the old Terminal and work on extending the Terminal will begin when passenger numbers begin to exceed 3m (the current limit of the new Terminal).
3) The main Runway 17/35 will be extended, feasibility studies will be carried out in 2012 after work begins on Phases 1 & 2. This will allow for the provision of Long Haul aircraft (747, 777, A340) to use the airport, work will begin on the extension of the runway when phases 1 & 2 are active.
4) The Road network, Public transport infrastructure will be developed as soon as phases 1 & 2 become active. This will comprise of the renovation of the main N27 which serves the airport to Motorway standard of 3 x 3 lanes in each direction (1 on each side a designated bus lane). A new road will be built from the South link roundabout near Cork University Hospital
Cork University Hospital
Cork University Hospital , abbreviated as CUH, is the largest university teaching hospital in Ireland and is the only Level 1 trauma centre in the country due to the presence of over 40 different medical and surgical specialties on the campus. It is operated by the Health Service Executive...
and Togher, to the Airport. The main roundabout will be enlarged with under-passes to allow traffic from Cork to Kinsale, or Kinsale to Cork to avoid the roundabout allowing extra capacity on the main roundabout. Work on the renovation of the Roundabout will begin in 2015, but the new roads and upgrade roads will not begin until phases 1 & 2 are active.
Airlines and destinations
Note: † denotes charter airlines and their destinationsCargo
Passenger numbers
Passenger numbers at Cork Airport increased every year during the 10 years between 1998 and 2008, by an average of 14.8% per annum from around 1.3 million to over 3.2 million. Passenger numbers fell however during the subsequent two years to around 2.4 million in 2010.EWLINE
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Busiest routes
In addition to the 171,000 passengers travelling on routes within Ireland during 2010, the following table shows the number of passengers on non-domestic routes at the airport during the period.| Rank | Airport | Passengers handled | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - London Heathrow London Heathrow Airport London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe... |
395,117 | ||
| 2 | - London Stansted London Stansted Airport -Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures... |
205,333 | ||
| 3 | - London Gatwick | 188,177 | ||
| 4 |  Netherlands - AmsterdamAmsterdam Schiphol Airport Amsterdam Airport Schiphol ) is the Netherlands' main international airport, located 20 minutes southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. The airport's official English name, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, reflects the original Dutch word order... |
149,871 | ||
| 5 |  Spain - MalagaMálaga Airport Málaga Airport , also known as Malaga Costa Del Sol Airport and Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport, is the fourth busiest airport in Spain after Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca. It is an important airport for Spanish tourism as it is the main international airport serving the Costa Del Sol.... |
106,490 | ||
| 6 | - Liverpool Liverpool John Lennon Airport Liverpool John Lennon Airport is an international airport serving the city of Liverpool and the North West of England. Formerly known as Speke Airport, RAF Speke, and Liverpool Airport the airport is located within the City of Liverpool adjacent to the estuary of the River Mersey some southeast... |
96,709 | ||
| 7 |  France - Paris Charles de Gaulle |
92,857 | ||
| 8 | - Birmingham | 82,192 | ||
| 9 | - Manchester | 80,116 | ||
| 10 | Spain - Lanzarote |
70,978 | ||
| Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland) Central Statistics Office (Ireland) The Central Statistics Office is the statistical agency responsible for the gathering of "information relating to economic, social and general activities and conditions" in Ireland, in particular the National Census which is held every five years. The office is answerable to the Taoiseach and has... |
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Ground transport
Bus, train| Means of transport | Operator | Route | Destination | Website | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Bus Éireann Bus Éireann Bus Éireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus. Bus Éireann, established as a separate company in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. The logo of Bus Éireann incorporates a red Irish... |
226 | Cork Kent railway station | www.buseireann.ie | |
| |Bus Éireann | 249 | Garretstown via Kinsale Kinsale Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and... |
www.buseireann.ie | ||
| |Bus Éireann | 252 | Cork Parnell Bus Station | www.buseireann.ie | Summer only | |
| |Bus Éireann | 252 | Kenmare via Kinsale Kinsale Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and... |
www.buseireann.ie | Summer only | |
| |Citylink CityLink Ireland CityLink Ireland is a private operator of public transport in the Republic of Ireland. It operates long distance bus services between Dublin and Galway, between Galway and Clifden, and between Galway and Cork .... |
4 | Galway Galway Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the... via Limerick Limerick Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the... , Mallow Mallow, County Cork Mallow is the "Crossroads of Munster" and the administrative capital of north County Cork, in Ireland. The Northern Divisional Offices of Cork County Council are located in the town.... and Cork City Centre Cork (city) Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban... |
www.citylink.ie |
Taxi
The airport is also served by taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
. There is a taxi rank located outside the arrivals entrance.
Road
Cork Airport is conveniently located just 8 kilometres from Cork City Centre on the south end of the N27, when coming from the North, West, or East of Cork and off the R600 when coming from Kinsale
Kinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
. The M8 motorway
M8 motorway (Ireland)
The M8 motorway is an inter-urban motorway in Ireland, which forms part of the road from the capital - Dublin - to Cork city. The 149 km motorway commences in the townland of Aghaboe, County Laois and runs through the counties of Kilkenny, North Tipperary, South Tipperary and Limerick,...
provides a link to the airport for north-east County Cork and County Tipperary.
Car hire
Car hire is available in the arrivals hall of the terminal building, with nine car rental firms located at the airport.
Car parking
Cork Airport Authority operates all Car Parks at Cork Airport and offers both short-term and long-term parking within the airport campus with over 4,600 spaces available in total. Special rates are available for frequent users of car parking facilities at Cork Airport. All car parks operate 24 hours and are regularly patrolled by Airport Police (Ireland).
Incidents and accidents
- On 24 March 1968, Aer Lingus Flight 712Aer Lingus Flight 712Flight 712, operated by Aer Lingus crashed en route from Cork to London on 24 March 1968 killing 61 passengers and crew. The plane, a Vickers Viscount 803 named "St. Phelim", crashed into the sea off Tuskar Rock, County Wexford. Although the investigation into the crash lasted two years, a cause...
departed Cork at 10.32 for a flight to London Heathrow and was cleared for FLFlight levelA Flight Level is a standard nominal altitude of an aircraft, in hundreds of feet. This altitude is calculated from the International standard pressure datum of 1013.25 hPa , the average sea-level pressure, and therefore is not necessarily the same as the aircraft's true altitude either...
170. The crew reported at the BannowBannowBannow is an area situated in the south of County Wexford, in Ireland. An early Norman town was founded at Bannow. This town has since disappeared for unknown reasons, although the ruins of an early Norman church can still be seen there today . The Norman church is located near the former Island...
reporting point at FL170 at 10.57 and were instructed to change frequency to London Airways. Just eight seconds after first reporting on the London air traffic controlAir traffic controlAir traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
frequency, a message was received which was later interpreted as "Twelve thousand feet descending spinning rapidly". The Vickers ViscountVickers ViscountThe Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
descended and struck the sea 1.7 NM from Tuskar Rock. All 61 passengers including crew died on board. - On 10 February 2011, a Flight Avia Metroliner SW4Fairchild Swearingen MetrolinerThe Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner or the Fairchild Aerospace Metro is a 19-seat, pressurised, twin turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild at a plant in San Antonio, Texas, United States....
, with flight number NM7100Manx2 Flight 7100Manx2 Flight 7100 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Belfast, Northern Ireland to Cork, Republic of Ireland. On 10 February 2011, the Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner 3 operating the route crashed on its third attempted landing at Cork Airport, killing six of the twelve people on...
, operating for Manx2Manx2Manx2 Limited is a virtual commuter airline, with its head office in Hangar 9, Isle of Man Airport in Ballasalla, Malew, Isle of Man. It sells flights and services from several airports in the UK with bases in Belfast City, Blackpool, Cardiff and Isle of Man...
from Belfast-CityGeorge Best Belfast City AirportGeorge Best Belfast City Airport is a single-runway airport in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Situated adjacent to the Port of Belfast it is from Belfast City Centre. It shares the site with the Short Brothers/Bombardier aircraft manufacturing facility...
to Cork crashed on landing, killing six people and injuring a further six. The commuter flight from Belfast had 10 passengers and two crew on board when it crashed in heavy fog at 9.45am. It was reported that it was the aircraft's third attempt at landing in foggy conditions. The aircraft registered EC-ITP, ended up upside down adjacent to taxiway C (Charlie) just past the turnpad at Runway 17. - On 22 May 2011, at around 4.30pm a man approached a member of the Garda SíochánaGarda Síochána, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
in Cork City CentreCork (city)Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
who was sitting in his traffic corp jeep. The man got into the vehicle began to beat up the Garda, produced a knife, before slashing his face, the Garda then jumped from his jeep. The man then hijackedCarjackingCarjacking is a form of hijacking, where the crime is of stealing a motor vehicle and so also armed assault when the vehicle is occupied. Historically, such as in the rash of semi-trailer truck hijackings during the 1960s, the general term hijacking was used for that type of vehicle abduction,...
the Garda's traffic corps jeep before, hitting vehicles en-route to Cork Airport while Gardaí gave chase. At around 4.50pm the man arrived at Cork Airport, rammed through the perimeter fence near the Cargo terminal (Gate 19), before abandoning the Garda jeep after it broke down, he then again produced a knife, and again hijacked a vehicle which belonged to the Airport Fire Service, by this time Air Traffic ControlAir traffic controlAir traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
had suspended all operations. The man began to drive erratically coming into close contact with a Thomas Cook flight driving underneath the aircraft at high speed, the incident was captured on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
by a passenger waiting to board a flight. The man proceeded to ramBattering ramA battering ram is a siege engine originating in ancient times and designed to break open the masonry walls of fortifications or splinter their wooden gates...
several Garda and airport vehicles, before attempting to ram an Aer LingusAer LingusAer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
aircraft bound for Amsterdam. The man's vehicle stalledStall (engine)A stall is the slowing or stopping of a process, and in the case of an engine, refers to a sudden stopping of the engine turning, usually brought about accidentally....
which prevented him from ramming the Aer Lingus jet, the jeep halted just feet from the Airbus A320-200 aircraft, where members of the Armed Gardaí subdued the man by taseringTaserA Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and the devices' mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...
him, during the chase in the airport another Garda was injured and transported to hospital after his car was rammed by the assailantAssailantAssailant is a Swedish power metal band formed in 2004 formerly signed on the label Dockyard 1. Their debut album Nemesis Within was released in May 2006.-The Sound:...
. Flights where resumed after the man was removed from airport property and the perimeter secured.
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