• International sporting fixtures and the national holiday take centre stage as Cork Airport anticipates one of its busiest weeks this year.
• Extensive programme of traditional Irish music and dance to greet arriving passengers in the days leading up to, and including, St Patrick’s Day.
• Extra Ryanair services to Birmingham added to cater for Cheltenham Racing Festival fans.
• A total of six services (mix of scheduled services and charters) will bring Irish rugby fans to Rome this weekend for Ireland’s last Six Nations Championship game vs. Italy.
• Passenger traffic this weekend is 7% higher than the same weekend last year.

Cork Airport is gearing up for one of its busiest weeks this year as over 53,000 passengers are expected to travel through the airport over the St Patrick’s Bank Holiday weekend. While tens of thousands will take the opportunity to travel overseas for the long weekend, thousands more will jet off to major sporting fixtures such as the Cheltenham Racing Festival and Ireland’s final game of the Six Nations Championship in Rome. Inbound traffic is also expected to be high as visitors will arrive from the UK, Europe and further afield for St Patrick’s Day festivities in Cork and across the South of Ireland. 

To celebrate the national holiday, Cork Airport will host a showcase of traditional Irish music and dance this weekend, with an extensive programme of entertainment taking place in the terminal building. From Thursday afternoon through to Monday afternoon, there will be daily performances by local musicians who will take to the stage area in Arrivals, offering a true Irish céad míle fáilte for those landing at Ireland’s Gateway to the South ahead of St Patrick’s Day. 

International sporting events will also contribute to an increase in passenger numbers over the coming week. As the Cheltenham Racing Festival starts tomorrow, the airport will be the point of departure for many punters as they travel to the UK for one of the biggest events on the annual racing calendar. This year, Ryanair will operate additional services to Birmingham to cater for the increased demand while many others will avail of the daily Aer Lingus Regional service to Bristol. Across Thursday and Friday, there will be a total of six direct services from Cork to Rome to cater for the large number of Irish rugby fans heading to the Stadio Olympico for the final game of Ireland’s Six Nations Championship versus Italy - with three charters and an Aer Lingus service complementing the two scheduled Ryanair services.

Ahead of the busy St. Patrick’s Bank Holiday weekend, Managing Director at Cork Airport, Niall MacCarthy said: “We in Ireland are blessed to have a national day which is known the world over and a branding which resonates in every country without prompt. St Patrick’s week starts the tourist season and we at Cork Airport have a feast of traditional music and song to celebrate our national culture and to welcome visitors and locals together to Cork. For outbound passengers, we have additional resources supporting our operation to ensure the standards of service this year remain as good as our passengers expect. From all of us at Cork Airport, Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh go léir!”

Passengers travelling over the St Patrick’s Bank Holiday weekend can also look forward to experiencing the new CRAFT bar and restaurant, which will reopen this week after extensive refurbishment works -complete with new interior décor, additional seating and a new, refreshed menu focusing on local ingredients.

With Friday, March 14 expected to be the busiest day for departures, Cork Airport advises those travelling this weekend to arrive at the airport in good time to ensure a smooth and hassle-free airport experience. For passengers travelling on scheduled services, they are advised to arrive at least 90 minutes before their flight is due to depart. For passengers travelling on charter services, they are recommended to allow a little extra time to complete their check-in and to clear airport security.