- Cork Airport recorded 360,535 passengers in August 2026
- Passenger numbers were up 21pc on pre-Covid levels
- Year to date the airport handled 2.34m passengers
- Strong performances were noted on Britain provincial routes and continental services
- A new mezzanine floor and security screening area is nearing completion for a December opening
Cork airport handled 360,535 passengers in August, down 4.3pc on August 2025 and up 21.5pc on pre-pandemic. Rolling annual was 3,408,508, up 1.3pc on the twelve months to August 2025.
Strong performances were noted on Britain provincial routes and certain continental services including Milan Bergamo, Amsterdam and Paris. Construction of a new mezzanine floor and modern security screening area is nearing completion for a December opening.
Work on the mezzanine began in September 2025 with steel frame installation and remains on track for completion in December 2026. Plans include an expanded duty-free shop, a new executive lounge, additional boarding gates, increased car parking capacity, and a new pier with more aircraft stands. The airport lodged planning permission for a 1.7-megawatt solar farm that will cover part of an existing car park and supply around one fifth of the airport’s power needs.
The development programme, launched in May 2025, addresses record passenger numbers that reached 3.4 million in 2025. daa invests in upgraded facilities including new airbridges and improved public transport links. Projects proceed while minimising disruption to ongoing operations.
Niall MacCarthy shared “All of our team are delighted to see that the growth continues at Cork Airport in 2026 having recorded our highest passenger numbers ever in 2025.”
Cork Airport recorded its busiest year on record in 2025 with 3.46 million passengers. Passenger traffic increased 13pc compared to 2024, marking the third consecutive year of double-digit growth.
The previous busiest year in the history of Cork airport was 2008 with 3,258,639 passengers. The Mitchelstown bypass opened on May 25 2009, completing the motorway from Cork to Dublin.
Airport passenger numbers
Aberdeen – Abu Dhabi – Alicante – Amsterdam – Athens – Barcelona – Belfast City – Belfast International – Belfast combined – Bergamo – Berlin – Birmingham – Bristol – Brussels – Bucharest – Budapest – Cardiff – CDG Paris – Copenhagen – Cork – Derry – Doha – Donegal – Dubai – Dublin – Dusseldorf – East Midlands – Edinburgh – Frankfurt – Gatwick – Geneva – Glasgow – Gran Canaria – Helsinki – Heathrow – Istanbul – Kerry – Knock – Lanzarote – Leeds Bradford – Lisbon – Liverpool – London City – Luton – Madrid – Malaga – Manchester – Milan Bergamo – Milan Malpensa –Munich – Newcastle – Oslo Gardermoen – Palma de Mallorca – Paris CDG – Paris Orly – Porto – Prague – Prestwick – Rome Fiumicino – Seville – Shannon – Southampton – Stansted – Stockholm – Tenerife Sur – Valencia – Vienna – Warsaw – Zurich
