Cork Airport has won the “Best Airport in Europe (under 5m passengers)” at the ACI EUROPE Best Airport Awards 2025, its third time to won the award having won previously in 2017 and 2019. The award winners at the cermony in Athens were;
- Over 40m Passengers Category: Rome Fiumicino. Recognised for launching Europe’s largest self-consumption solar farm, producing 30 GWh/year and cutting 11,000 tons of CO2 annually, alongside data-driven management and stakeholder collaboration.
- 25-40m Passengers Category: Athens International. Applauded for tackling seasonality and enhancing destination promotion through strategic collaborations with aviation and tourism stakeholders.
- 10-25m Passengers Category: Hamburg. Commended for digital process advancements, passenger comfort, route growth, and initiatives to become Germany’s first CO₂-free metropolitan airport using wind power and green heating.
- 5-10m Passengers Category: Vasil Levski Sofia. Recognised for a compelling transformation strategy, supporting human capital development, community connections, and progress toward net zero emissions by 2036.
- Under 5m Passengers Category: Cork. Awarded for 10% year-on-year passenger growth, enhanced operational efficiency, passenger experience, and sustainability, achieving top carbon reduction among Ireland’s commercial semi-state bodies.
- Award for Exceptional Resilience: Ukrainian Airports. Recognised for their grit and steadfastness in maintaining infrastructure and operational readiness despite closed airspace, war-inflicted damages, and loss of operating revenues, while supporting staff.
- Digital Transformation Award: Munich. Awarded for adopting innovative technologies like service robots and AI for turnaround management, improving safety, capacity, efficiency, and environmental footprint through digitalisation and ecosystem collaboration.
- Eco-Innovation Award: Maastricht-Aachen. Commended for the Electrifly project, a pioneering fully electric door-to-door international travel experience, setting a blueprint for zero-emission air transport with stakeholder collaboration.
- HR Excellence Award: Lyon. Recognised for a comprehensive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) plan, demonstrating individual and collective leadership in fostering an inclusive workplace through innovative HR initiatives.
- World Business Partner Award: Ella Soltani, To70 Aviation. Honoured for contributions to ACI EUROPE’s Environmental Strategy Committee, Stargate Project, and industry conferences, showcasing sustainability-focused leadership and technical expertise.
Niall MacCarthy, Cork Airport’s Managing Director, shared: “the award is a fantastic endorsement of the incredible people who make Cork Airport what it is – from its frontline teams to those behind-the-scenes, and everyone in between. It’s also a reflection of the strong partnerships we’ve built with all our stakeholders, and the loyalty of our passengers who continue to choose Cork Airport.”
Kenny Jacobs, daa CEO, shared: “the award is a huge recognition of the brilliant team on the ground who deliver for passengers every single day. This award’s not just for the airport – it’s for Cork, for Munster, and for Ireland. We have big plans for Cork, and this is a great boost.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin shared: “it is clear that Cork Airport is going from strength-to-strength every year and this award is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of Niall MacCarthy and all his team there. I look forward to seeing Cork Airport continue to flourish as Ireland’s fastest growing airport.”
