Thursday, July 19th, 2007. Cork Airport is celebrating the announcement
of a new airline and a new route.
Central European airline,
SkyEurope, plans to launch a three times weekly service from Cork to Bratislava in
the Slovak Republic from Tuesday, October 30th. The flight will operate on
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, arriving into Cork at 11.50am and flying out
again at 12.20pm. A 149-seater 737-700 aircraft will operate the service
with an estimated 2 hour 30 minute flight time. Further information and
booking details can be found at www.skyeurope.com <http://www.skyeurope.com>
“The addition of the new direct Cork-Bratislava service
with SkyEurope opens up an exciting new gateway to Vienna and is further evidence of
our successful expansion into Central and Eastern Europe over the past year”,
said Kevin Cullinane, Cork Airport Marketing Manager. “The combination of
Bratislava and Vienna makes for two new city break destinations and SkyEurope will offer
an increased choice in travel for our passengers out of Cork. Equally the
cultural, sporting and tourist attractions of Cork and the South of Ireland will
open up to a new Central European tourist base in Slovakia and Austria”, he
added.
Tomasz Zeglinski, Sky Europe’s Sales & Marketing Executive, UK
& Ireland, commented: “The entry to Cork continues SkyEurope’s expansion between
Western and Eastern Europe. We are now delighted to offer a direct service
to Bratislava, with easy access to Vienna. This is great news for all city
break and business travellers who will have this fantastic opportunity to visit
these two historic cities located on the banks of the River Danube. This
new route will be also warmly welcomed by the enormous Slovak community living
in Cork who will now have easier access to their homeland”.
SkyEurope was the first low cost-low fare airline operating in
Central Europe. The airline’s scheduled services link 42 cities in 19 countries
on 99 routes. With five bases in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and
Slovakia, the carrier is the first Central European airline to operate from
multiple hubs in the region.
SkyEurope’s main base is at MR
Stefanik Airport in Bratislava, Slovakia, and operates from other bases in
Krakow, Prague, Budapest and Vienna. The airline operates short-haul
“point-to-point” scheduled and charter passenger and cargo services. The
airline has ambitious growth targets with plans to operate 23 Boeing 737-700
aircraft by 2009.
Bratislava Airport is within one hour’s drive of
Vienna and within easy reach of Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and
Slovakia. Sky Europe operates a shuttle bus service from Bratislava Airport to
Vienna, which currently takes 45 minutes. This journey and is due to be
shortened to 30 minutes by the end of 2007 with the opening of a new
motorway.
Bratislava is one of the youngest capitals in Europe with
various nationalities living harmoniously together. The city’s location on the
banks of the River Danube and at the crossroads of ancient trading routes right
at the heart of Europe, has allowed it to become a meeting point for various
cultures.
Bratislava is rightly considered a city of music. In
the past, giants of the classical music tradition such as Mozart, Haydn,
Beethoven, Rubinstein and Hummel played there. The ballet and opera of the
Slovak National Theatre are world-renowned for their classical
performances. In addition to classical music and opera, Bratislava boasts
numerous galleries, which house exhibitions of ancient and modern art. Many
cultural events are also held annually in Bratislava including the Bratislava
Music Festival in September and the Bratislava Jazz Festival in
October.
For visitors looking for an exciting shopping experience,
Bratislava is fast becoming a shopper’s paradise. Shopping malls such as Polus
City Centre and AuPark are visitor favourites and conveniently located near the
city centre. Bratislava’s Old Town is home to a number of jewellery and
watch retailers, bookstores, outlets selling glassware, porcelain, ceramics,
antiques and other souvenirs. For an alternative shopping experience,
visitors are encouraged to pay a visit to the open-air market on Mileticova
Street with its vegetable, clothing and fruit stands and
bars.
-ENDS-
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