768% rise on 2021 airport traffic

Cork Airport welcomed 2.24 million passengers last year, a 768% increase on 2021 traffic and an 86% recovery of 2019 passenger traffic.

2019 was the last equally comparable period prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the airport said on Tuesday as it revealed the 2022 figures.

December 2022 saw a welcome return of seasonal reunions as passengers celebrated the first restriction-free Christmas in 3 years. Passenger traffic in December 2022 was marginally higher than that experienced in December 2019, indicating a welcome return to pre-pandemic demand for international travel to and from Cork Airport.

Managing Director at Cork Airport, Niall MacCarthy said: “After 2 years of Covid-19, we were delighted with the strength of the recovery at Cork Airport in 2022. We welcomed back eight scheduled airlines together with charter airlines and served 2.24 million passengers. Our team works very hard at Cork Airport, to make the passenger journey seamless, friendly, and easy. The passenger satisfaction scores of 9.2 out of 10 reflect this.

“We thank our loyal and valued customers and encourage prospective passengers in the hinterland of Munster and south Leinster to bear this ease and convenience in mind when booking their summer holidays in 2023.”

In 2022, Cork Airport offered 45 scheduled routes serving the UK, France, The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Poland and Croatia. 8 scheduled airlines operated services in 2022 inlcuding Ryanair, Aer Lingus, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa, Vueling, SWISS International Air Lines and TUI, together with a number of charter airlines.