Good Friday Set to be Busiest Day as Passenger Numbers Surge over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend
Over 65,000 passengers are expected to travel through Cork Airport over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, with Good Friday, April 3, set to be the busiest day for both arrivals and departures. The airport is preparing for a strong influx of inbound visitors, particularly from the UK, where both Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays
Inbound UK Visitors and Sunseekers Drive Strong Easter Demand
With Ireland experiencing an extended spell of cold and wet weather, many passengers are expected to take the opportunity to fly to warmer destinations. Seasonal favourites such as Alicante, Lanzarote, Tenerife, Valencia, Malaga and Faro continue to perform strongly. Demand for short city breaks also remains robust, with Paris, Barcelona and Seville among the most popular routes from Cork at this time of year.
Cork Airport’s 2026 Summer Schedule commenced last weekend and operates through to the end of October. A number of key seasonal services have now resumed, including flights to Alghero, Bilbao, Girona, Milan Bergamo, Palma de Mallorca, Pisa and Reus. Major airline partners Lufthansa, SWISS International Air Lines and SunExpress have also returned, reinstating their successful services to Frankfurt, Zurich and Izmir.
Expanded Summer Schedule Strengthens European and Global Connectivity
This summer sees a significant enhancement in connectivity, with Lufthansa increasing its Cork–Frankfurt operations to up to six flights per week. This additional capacity not only strengthens access to one of Europe’s leading financial and aviation hubs but also supports inbound tourism at a critical time. Germany remains Ireland’s third‑largest source market for overseas visitors, with the south‑west consistently ranking as the most popular region outside Dublin.
The increased frequency to Frankfurt also expands long‑haul connectivity for the wider South of Ireland. Through Lufthansa’s global hub, passengers can now access an even broader network of destinations worldwide, complementing existing hub links via London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Zurich.
Looking forward to the Easter period, Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director at Cork Airport said:
“Easter is always a great kick‑off to our busy season at Cork Airport, and it’s fantastic to see so many people choosing to fly with us again this year. We’re expecting a lively weekend, with strong demand for sunshine breaks and a big wave of visitors coming in from the UK. Our summer schedule is now up and running, and there’s a brilliant mix of destinations on offer from Cork.
We’re progressing well on our Capital Development Programme and despite the significant works on the construction of a new mezzanine floor, the passenger experience from Cork Airport is still as friendly and easy as ever. We encourage passengers this weekend to arrive 90 minutes before flight departure time given the increased traffic with Easter season.”
Visit corkairport.com for more information
