Chamberlink Issue 3 2021 - Digital Legend

Natalia Matloch Ryanair; Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson; Cork Airport’s Managing Director Niall MacCarthy and Lindie Murphy Ryanair. Photo: Gerard McCarthy

REOPENING OF RYANAIR BASE AT CORK AIRPORT A HUGE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE

Ryanair has announced a €200m investment in Cork Airport and a full recovery of its pre-pandemic passenger capacity with the reopening of the base. The investment will bring 20 routes to Cork, including the introduction of new services to Birmingham and Edinburgh. The restoration of the airline’s base from December will also secure 60 Ryanair jobs. Cork Airport and the daa have worked closely with Ryanair to extend the traffic recovery scheme to the end of October 2022 to incentivise Ryanair traffic to return to pre-pandemic levels. This €200m investment secures 60 Ryanair jobs at Cork, but more importantly restores passenger traffic at Cork to pre-pandemic levels for summer ’22.

Commenting on the announcement, Conor Healy, CEO of Cork Chamber said: “The announcement by Ryanair that it is to reopen its base at Cork Airport is a huge vote of confidence in the region. It will help to position Cork on the road to economic recovery as the airline facilitates a great deal of business and tourism not only in Cork but throughout the entire southern region. Today’s news means that Cork Airport can begin to build on the momentum and success it was experiencing prior to the pandemic when passenger numbers were reaching record highs and the airport itself was

He continued: “As the country begins to emerge from the effects of COVID19, Cork Airport will once again become a key driver of the Cork economy ensuring strong regional and national connectivity. It is essential now that government continues to robustly support Cork Airport through Traffic Recovery Support Scheme and marketing funding. Cork Chamber welcomes today’s significant announcement and the anticipated level of activity it will bring to the airport.”