Cork Airport Expects Record 68,500 Passengers This June Bank Holiday Weekend

Cork Airport is preparing for its busiest June Bank Holiday weekend on record, with 68,500 passengers expected to pass through Ireland's fastest-growing airport over the coming days.

Passenger numbers are up 20% compared with the same weekend last year, driven by high demand for international travel as post-primary schools break for their summer holidays. Sunday, June 1, is expected to be the busiest day of the weekend.

The surge comes as Cork Airport continues its strong growth trajectory, with passenger traffic up 14% year-to-date compared with the same period last year. The airport's sustained expansion reflects growing numbers of passengers from across the South of Ireland choosing Cork over other airports for its convenient car parking, swift security queues, and expanding destination network.

This Saturday marks a significant milestone as SunExpress launches a new twice-weekly service to İzmir on Turkey's Aegean coast. The Saturday and Wednesday flights, running from June through September, provide the first direct scheduled connection to Turkey from Cork. The route is expected to appeal to passengers seeking Turkish scenery, climate, cuisine, and history.

The first week of June also sees the resumption of four popular Ryanair summer services from Cork to Carcassonne, La Rochelle, Rhodes, and Zadar. All four routes will operate twice weekly through the summer and into early autumn.

The weekend will also bring a large influx of international visitors to Cork Airport, with particularly high load factors on services from the UK, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland.

Roy O'Driscoll, Deputy Managing Director at Cork Airport, said:

"The year is flying by, and we are yet again ready for another busy Bank Holiday weekend influx of passengers. As post-primary schools finish for the summer, we're looking forward to welcoming lots of families from across the South of Ireland and beyond as they head off on their well-deserved holidays."

With car parking sold out across all three car parks, passengers are advised to arrive at least 90 minutes prior to departure and consider alternative transport including public transport, taxi, or drop-off arrangements.