Cork Airport

Cork Airport Aerfort Chorcaí
File:Cork Airport Terminal Landside.jpg
IATA: ORK ICAO: EICK
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Government of Ireland
Operator	DAA
Serves	Cork, Ireland
Location	Ballygarvan, County Cork
Hub for	Aer Arann Aer Lingus Aer Lingus Regional (from 28 March) Ryanair
Elevation AMSL	502 ft / 153 m
Coordinates	51°50′29″N 008°29′28″W / 51.84139°N 8.49111°W / 51.84139; -8.49111 (Cork Airport)
Website	www.corkairport.com
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 17/35 2,133 6,998 Asphalt 07/25 1,310 4,298 Concrete/Asphalt
Sources: Airport website[1], Irish AIS[2]

Cork Airport, (Irish: Aerfort Chorcaí) (IATA: ORK, ICAO: EICK) is one of the three principal international airports of Ireland, along with Dublin and Shannon. It is located 6.5 km (4.0 mi)^[2] south of Cork City in an area known as Farmers Cross.^[3] In 2009, Cork Airport handled 2.8 million passengers,^[4] and remaining Ireland's second busiest airport in terms of passenger numbers, after Dublin, and third busiest on the island of Ireland, after Dublin and Belfast.

In 1957 the Government of Ireland agreed in principle to the building of an airport for Cork City. After considering many sites in the area it was agreed that the airport should be built at Ballygarvan. Tenders were invited for the construction of the airport in 1959 at an estimated cost of £1 million. The airport was officially opened on 16 October 1961, following proving flights four days earlier by Aer Lingus and Cambrian Airways (later taken over by British Airways). Vincent Fanning was the first manager at the airport[1]. In its first year the airport handled 10,172 passengers - close to the average number of passengers handled each day at the airport in 2007. Throughout the 1960s the airport expanded with the arrival of more advanced aircraft and more destinations. The first jet, a British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Comet, landed at Cork Airport on 29 March 1964. By 1969 Aer Lingus was operating to London Heathrow, Manchester and Bristol.

In 1975 Aer Rianta (Dublin Airport Authority) undertook a passenger terminal study aimed at improving the terminal facilities. The findings resulted in the provision, over the next two years, of new departure and arrival halls, a new check-in area and office complex, a new information desk, duty office and executive lounge. The newly completed extensions and facilities were officially opened in 1978.

The 1980s began with an extension of the main apron. New services to London Gatwick began, while Aer Lingus' commuter division started a new domestic service to Dublin Airport. In 1985 following significant growth, Aer Rianta carried out a survey of the terminal facilities with a view to carrying out a major expansion and development programme. On 8 June 1987 Ryanair commenced services at Cork Airport. In 1988 Phase I of the Terminal Expansion and Development Plan was completed. The following year the main runway extension of 1,000 ft (300 m) was opened.

The 1990s began with the completion of Phase II of the Terminal expansion in 1991 and Phase III being completed in 1992. The Terminal Expansion and Development Plan was completed in 1994.

A Great Southern Hotel was opened on the airport grounds during 2001, and plans were drawn up for the construction of a new terminal building and ancillary capital investment works at an estimated cost of €140 million.

Also towards the end of 2001, new Irish Regional airline Aer Arann opened its 2nd base at Cork opening new routes to/from the airport.

Along with the construction of the terminal, roads were upgraded from single to dual carriageway and re-aligned, a new short term multi-storey car park constructed and key services enhanced to the highest international standards. Airbridges were an integral element of the original terminal design. However, only one airbridge was built because airline representatives from the low-cost carriers who use Cork Airport made it clear that they did not want airbridges, would not use them and would not pay for them.

In those circumstances, the DAA had no choice but to remove the airbridges from the terminal design during construction of the new facility. The new terminal was completed with four fixed links to the main building and is designed to accommodate additional airbridges if and when airlines indicate that they wish to avail of them.

In 2005, Ryanair opened their 15th European base and 2nd Irish base here at Cork.

The new terminal opened on 15 August 2006. Designed by HOK and Jacobs Engineering Group, the new terminal is Ireland's first 21st century airport terminal. In terms of further expansion, the terminal can be extended in the form of additional piers which can be constructed to the north and south.

On 11 April 2008 the board of Cork Airport Authority agreed by one vote to accept responsibility for a debt of €113 million incurred by the Dublin Airport Authority in the redevelopment of Cork Airport in order to secure independence from Dublin Airport. This was despite government commitments that the Cork Airport Authority would be established on a debt-free basis.^[5] The Cork Airport Authority Board also stated that their strong reservations about the level of debt that Cork Airport was being levied with and the potential impact on its future sustainability. On 21 April 2008 Cork Airport Authority chairman Joe Gantly announced his resignation effective from the end of July 2008 by which time he will have completed 5 years service with the Board.

On 26 January 2010, Aer Arann & Aer Lingus launched a new franchise airline Aer Lingus Regional - All Aer Arann routes except Cork-Dublin & Cork-Belfast City would be transfered to Aer Lingus Regional, also a new daily serive to Glasgow International Airport was launched, as a result Aer Lingus Regional will have 1 ATR 72-500 based at Cork from the 28 March 2010.

On 2 February 2010, Ryanair announced a major milestone at Cork, basing a second aircraft at the airport for the peak summer months of June, July and August operating to seven new routes - Alicante, Barcelona (Reus), Bordeaux, Faro, La Rochelle, Lanzarote and Malaga announcing over 40,000 extra passengers would be carried during those 3 months alone from Cork.^[6]. Media reports now claim that both Aer Lingus & Ryanair are now in a battle of the skies from Cork.^[7]

File:Orkcontroltower.jpg

The Irish Aviation Authority completed a new control tower 1km from the old terminal at Cork Airport to the West of the Airport. The total cost was €7.5 million funded entirly by the IAA with no Government funding.Construction began in August 2007 and was completed in June 2008 but it took until mid October 2009 to get all new systems tested and work.The new control tower officaly opened on 20 October 2009 at 00.01am.^[8]

Cork Airport has a long tradition of general aviation flying. Both fixed wing and rotary wing flight training providers operate at the airport. These flying schools are located to the south of the terminal building, on the east side of the main runway. Cork Airport also serves a lot of business jets and they are parked near the short-term car park (beside the old terminal) they are very dominant at the airport. Since Bombardier (Bombardier Aerospace) jets are made in Northern Ireland a lot of deliveries take place at various Irish airports including Cork Airport.

With an elevation of 502 ft (153 m) above sea level, Cork Airport is sometimes prone to fog and a low cloud ceiling. The Instrument Landing System has been upgraded to Category II, and together with a 305 m (1,001 ft) extension of the main runway has significantly reduced the number of diversions. However during times of severe inclement weather the airport can suffer from delays or diversions to airports such as Shannon, Dublin or Kerry. Similarly, diversions from these airports occasionally land at Cork.

The length of the main runway dictates that the airport cannot handle fully laden large widebody aircraft. Large wide-bodied aircraft do visit Cork Airport on a regular basis and usually only operate on ad-hoc charter services for flights to various matches involving the Munster Rugby team.

From its opening in 1961 the airport was managed by the Department of Transport and Power (now the Department of Transport). Aer Rianta took control of Cork and Shannon airports on 1 April 1969 and the assets of the airports were transferred to the company under the Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Act, 1998. The name of Aer Rianta was changed to the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) under the State Airports Act 2004, which also created the Cork Airport Authority^[9] and the Shannon Airport Authority.^[10] These companies were charged with preparing a business plan in preparation for taking over the assets of their airports from the DAA.

On dates yet to be confirmed, the Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities will have the relevant airport assets vested in them and assume full responsibility for the management, development and operation of Cork and Shannon airports respectively. In the interim, the board of the DAA has transferred significant day-to-day operational responsibility, under delegated authority, to the boards of the Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities.

The new terminal at Cork Airport contains several shopping and eating facilities both before and after the security screening area, a bank with bureau de change service and an executive lounge. There are also various vending machines throughout the terminal. Paid Internet access is available throughout the terminal. There are also Wireless Internet Network services available on a free basis for passengers.

Free internet access is available in the Jack Lynch lounge for frequent flyers and business class passengers.

^[11]

Airlines	Destinations
Aer Arann	Belfast-City, Bristol [ends 27 March], Cardiff [ends 26 March], Dublin, Edinburgh [ends 26 March]
Aer Lingus	Alicante [seasonal], Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin-Schönefeld [ends 25 March], Birmingham, Faro [seasonal], Geneva [seasonal], Lanzarote, Lisbon [seasonal], London-Gatwick [begins 6 March], London-Heathrow, Málaga, Manchester, Munich, Nice [seasonal], Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Rome-Fiumicino, Tenerife-South
Aer Lingus Regional operated by Aer Arann	Bristol [begins 28 March], Cardiff [begins 28 March], Edinburgh [begins 28 March], Glasgow-International [begins 28 March], Jersey [begins 22 May; seasonal], La Rochelle [begins 22 May; seasonal]
Air Southwest	Newquay, Plymouth
Bmibaby	East Midlands, Manchester [ends 11 April]
Jet2.com	Newcastle
Ryanair	Alicante [begins 1 June], Bordeaux [begins 2 June; seasonal], Carcassonne [seasonal], Dublin, Faro [begins 1 June], La Rochelle [begins 1 June; seasonal], Lanzarote [begins 5 June; seasonal], Liverpool, London-Gatwick, London-Stansted, Málaga [begins 2 June], Reus [begins 2 June; seasonal]
Wizz Air	Gdańsk, Katowice, Poznan, Warsaw, Wroclaw [begins 12 March]

The following airlines operate charter flights on behalf of tour operators:^[12]

Airlines	Destinations
Air Europa	Lanzarote [seasonal], Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Málaga [begins 2 May; seasonal], Palma de Mallorca [seasonal]
Astraeus Airlines	Faro [begins 6 May; seasonal]
Austrian Airlines operated by Tyrolean Airways	Innsbruck [seasonal]
BMI	Verona [seasonal]
Czech Airlines	Salzburg [seasonal]
Dubrovnik Airline	Dubrovnik [seasonal]
Hemus Air	Burgas [begins 21 June; seasonal]
Iberworld	Lanzarote, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria [seasonal], Palma de Mallorca [seasonal], Reus [seasonal]
Monarch Airlines	Faro [seasonal]
Nouvelair	Monastir [seasonal]
Onur Air	Bodrum [seasonal], İzmir [begins 1 May; seasonal]
Spanair	Palma de Mallorca [begins 1 May; seasonal]
Travel Service	Lanzarote

Airlines	Destinations
DHL Air UK operated by Atlantic Airlines	East Midlands
FedEx operated by Air Contractors	Dublin, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Shannon
UPS operated by Bluebird Cargo	Cologne-Bonn, Edinburgh, Reykjavík-Keflávik

2009 after 16 consecutive years of growth passenger numbers at Cork declined by 15% from 3.25m in 2008 (3.3) to 2.77m in 2009 (2.8)^[13]

Figures in Millions

year	passengers
2000	1.7
2001	1.8
2002	1.9
2003	2.2
2004	2.3
2005	2.7
2006	3.0
2007	3.2
2008	3.3
2009	2.8

2009 Top 5 Departures from Cork.

Rank	Origin	Number of Passengers
1	London, United Kingdom	879,000
2	Continental, Europe	875,000
3	Provincial traffic, United Kingdom	438,000
4	Domestic, Republic of Ireland	336,000
5	Charter, Europe	235,000

Bus

Bus Éireann runs services to Cork City Centre and Kinsale, with onward connections from Cork Bus Station to other destinations. SkyLink provide a service to Cork City Centre and several hotels around the city. Citylink runs a service to Mallow, Limerick and Galway^[14]

Taxi

The airport is also served by taxi. There is a taxi rank located outside the arrivals entrance.

Road

Cork Airport is conveniently located just 8 kilometres from Cork City Centre on the south end of the N27, when coming from the North, West, or East of Cork and off the R600 when coming from Kinsale.

Train

Cork Airport, being in close proximity to the city centre by road 6.5 km (4.0 mi),^[2] has no railway station linking it to the rail network. However Kent Railway Station is across the River Lee from the bus station at Parnell Place in the city centre. From Kent Station, passengers can connect to both the Cork Suburban Rail or the Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) national network.

Car Hire

Car hire is available in the arrivals hall of the terminal building, with nine car rental firms located at the airport.

Car Parking

Cork Airport Authority operates all Car Parks at Cork Airport and offers both short-term and long-term parking within the airport campus with over 4,600 spaces available in total. Special rates are available for Frequent Users of car parking facilities at Cork Airport. All car parks operate 24 hours and are regularly patrolled by Airport Police.

• On 24 March 1968, Aer Lingus Flight 712 departed Cork at 10:32 for a flight to London Heathrow and was cleared for FL170. The crew reported at the Bannow reporting point at FL170 at 10:57 and were instructed to change frequency to London Airways. Just eight seconds after first reporting on the London air traffic control frequency, a message was received which was later interpreted as "Twelve thousand feet descending spinning rapidly". The Vickers Viscount descended and struck the sea 1.7 NM (3.1 km; 2.0 mi) from Tuskar Rock. All 61 passengers including crew died on board.

• Current weather for EICK at NOAA/NWS