34,000 Passengers Expected at Cork Airport Over St. Brigid's Bank Holiday Weekend

Cork Airport is preparing for a busy long weekend, with 34,000 passengers set to travel through the terminal over the St. Brigid's Bank Holiday period as travellers head to city breaks across the UK and Europe.

Since its introduction in 2023, the St. Brigid's Bank Holiday has become a popular opportunity for weekend getaways, with strong demand for both outbound flights and inbound visitors arriving to explore Cork and the wider region. This weekend, visitors can enjoy local events including the Ballincollig Winter Music Festival (26 January to 2 February) and Kinsale Beatlemania Weekend (30 January to 1 February).

Cork Airport has recorded a strong start to 2026, with ski services to Lyon, Munich, Salzburg and Geneva experiencing very high load factors. Over the past two weekends, Topflight for Schools introduced seasonal charter services to Verona, bringing students from Munster schools to the slopes for ski holidays. Sun destinations including Malaga, Faro, Alicante, Lanzarote and Tenerife have also seen considerable increases in passenger numbers throughout January.

Looking ahead to the 2026 summer schedule beginning in March, three new routes will launch: Aer Lingus services to Nice and Santiago de Compostela, plus a SunExpress route to Antalya in Türkiye. European hub connectivity will receive a major boost with 60% more seats to Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt and Zurich.

Direct services to Glasgow and Liverpool are also expanding this summer. Aer Lingus Regional will operate six flights weekly to Glasgow from May to October, while Ryanair will fly daily to Liverpool in April and again from June to October.

Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director at Cork Airport, said:

"2026 is off to a fantastic start for Cork Airport and we're looking forward to another excellent year. As we invest in our facilities and make progress on some major capital investment projects, I'm very proud of our team who are delivering a safe and pleasant arriving passenger journey despite extensive construction within the terminal and on the campus."

Passengers travelling this weekend are advised to arrive at the airport at least 90 minutes before their scheduled departure time.

Cork Airport welcomed 3.46 million passengers in 2025, a 13% increase compared to 2024, and continues its €200 million capital development programme to support growth beyond 5 million passengers annually.