Cork Airport Welcomes Ministers as €200m Development Stays on Track

Ministers for Transport visited Cork Airport yesterday to mark progress on the airport's landmark capital development programme, with one major milestone already complete and another on the horizon.

Minister for Transport, Darragh O'Brien TD, and Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Jerry Buttimer TD, joined department officials at the airport for a briefing and tour led by airport managing director Niall MacCarthy. The visit included the official ribbon-cutting for the newly reconstructed staff and goods security screening area, completed over a three-month period by PJ Hegarty & Sons, working with daa Infrastructure and AtkinsRéalis.

The new screening facility was delivered on-time and on-budget. The ministers also toured the new mezzanine floor, which will house the airport's passenger security screening area when it opens in December 2026, also currently on track.

Niall MacCarthy said:

"Cork Airport experienced its highest ever passenger numbers last year and was named Best Regional Airport in Europe by ACI Europe. Our capital programme, once complete, will put in the infrastructure to handle five million passengers and beyond. We are proud of delivering quality infrastructure projects, on-time and on-budget, and compliment our construction partners and team."

Minister Darragh O'Brien TD said:

"It's a pleasure to visit Cork Airport today, as our second largest State airport. I am heartened to see that daa's capital programme is proceeding at pace and demonstrating on-time, on-budget delivery. Once completed, this development programme will deliver efficiencies along with a better passenger experience for all those who will travel through the airport."

Minister of State Jerry Buttimer TD added:

"Cork Airport supports over 12,000 jobs in our region and is responsible for an economic impact of over €1 billion. I'm delighted to see the infrastructure expansion and I am engaging strongly to improve public transport links to make the airport more accessible across the region."

Cork Airport, part of daa Group, welcomed 3.46 million passengers last year, a 13% increase on the previous year and the busiest year in the airport's history. The €200 million capital development programme is designed to support growth beyond five million passengers annually.