Cork Airport Soars to Record Heights with Busiest May Ever

Cork Airport's stellar performance in May represents the latest milestone for Ireland's fastest-growing airport, with passenger numbers jumping to 330,888 - a remarkable 17% increase compared to May 2024. The achievement comes as the airport positions itself for significant expansion following last month's announcement of an ambitious €200 million capital investment plan.

Kenny Jacobs, daa CEO, said:

"It was another month of double-digit growth at Cork Airport with passenger numbers up 17% on May 2024, making this May Cork's busiest ever. The May Bank Holiday weekend ushered in a brilliant start to the month, with passenger numbers on that weekend up 20% on the same weekend in 2024."

The record-breaking month saw Cork Airport welcome its ninth airline partner, SunExpress, which launched a new direct route to Izmir in Turkey. The addition reflects growing international connectivity from Cork, with healthy inbound tourism numbers from the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy.

Meanwhile, Dublin Airport processed over 3.25 million passengers in May, marking a 4.2% increase year-on-year. The capital's airport achieved a historic first with three separate days recording more than 120,000 passengers - previously, the highest May figure had been 115,000 passengers on a single day.

Jacobs added:

"We're also looking to Cork Airport's future and were delighted to welcome the Taoiseach to the airport in May to mark the announcement of our €200 million investment plan. This supports Cork Airport to grow beyond five million passengers a year and will further boost tourism, industry and foreign direct investment throughout the South of Ireland in the coming years."

The investment programme will future-proof Cork Airport's infrastructure for the next decade and beyond, supporting the airport's role as the gateway to southern Ireland. Popular destinations from Cork include London Heathrow, London Stansted, Faro, Malaga and Manchester.

Dublin Airport's performance was enhanced by new route launches including WestJet's service to St John's, Newfoundland, and Aer Lingus direct flights to Nashville and Indianapolis. However, the airport continues to operate under uncertainty due to ongoing legal proceedings regarding passenger capacity restrictions.

Both airports reported strong operational performance, with Cork achieving 93% of passengers through security within 15 minutes, whilst Dublin managed 88% within the same timeframe.