Bringing home Irish rugby fans after the match against South Africa in the 2023 rugby word cup at State de France will likely be the biggest airlift in irish sporting history.
On Sunday September 24, a total of 48 flights carrying 10,000 fans were scheduled to arrive from Paris at four Irish airports, 40 to Dublin, five to Cork two to Shannon and one to Belfast international. One flight, EI2529@12.55 from Charles de Gaulle was cancelled. Four outbound flights had been cancelled on Thursday and Friday. An estimated 10,000 more fans will be returning by other means, indirect routes or on later days.
Earlier in the tournament a return flight from Bordeaux had been cancelled, chartered by a tour operator, leaving 300 fans stranded for three days.
The previous records were around 13,000 for Ireland v Italy at Italia 90, Ireland v Belgium in the 1997 world cup play off, Ireland v France and Argentina at the 2-015 rugby world cup in Cardiff and Ireland v Wales for the 2016 European soccer championship in Paris.
