Cork Airport enjoyed another busy February with 203,224 passengers flying to and from the airport last month. With a strong and steady opening to 2026, passenger numbers in the year to date are up +2% compared to 2025. Both the St. Brigid’s Bank Holiday weekend and the February mid-term break brought a further boost to passenger traffic, with many families taking the opportunity to swap the dreary Irish climate for more sunnier spots in Spain and Portugal. 

Swapping the glum for the sun 
There was a marked increase in the number of passengers travelling to warmer climates, with passenger traffic between Cork and Portugal up +16% while passenger traffic between Cork and Spain increased by 6%. When ranked by load factor, five Spanish destinations were amongst the most popular last month – Valencia, Fuerteventura, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria. 

Delivering infrastructure: on-time and on-budget 
Works on the construction of the airport’s new mezzanine floor and passenger security screening area continues at pace, with the new concrete floor poured and in place. The project is being delivered on-time and on-budget, with the opening of the new facility set to take place in December. Over the next month, two more capital projects will be announced.   

Commenting on January passenger traffic, Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director at Cork Airport said: “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. The first two months of the year report a combined 2% year-to-date growth in passenger numbers, which is welcome. We continue to copper fasten our position as the second largest airport in the Republic of Ireland and our capital investment projects underway lay the foundations for growth to continue up to and beyond 5 million passengers per annum.”