Cork Airport welcomed 360,740 passengers in July as strong summer rolls on

Cork Airport welcomed 360,740 passengers in July. Passenger numbers in July were up 21% when compared to pre-COVID levels (July 2019). Since January 1, the airport has welcomed a total of 1,977,581 passengers which is showing a slight 1% decrease on the previous year – the airport’s busiest year ever. This represents a changing mix in 2026 versus 2025 with more KLM, Air France, Aer Lingus, Aer Lingus Regional and SunExpress passengers and less Ryanair passengers. Year-to-date passengers to end of July 2026 are up 32% on pre-COVID levels.

UK provincial traffic continues to perform strongly, with passenger numbers up +6% in July, compared with last year. Traffic on Ryanair’s Liverpool route continues to perform very strongly, up a massive +51% in line with capacity increases, as did Milan Bergamo, with +46% more passengers last month. KLM Royal Dutch Airline’s three-times daily service to Amsterdam is also performing strongly, with +40% more passengers in July compared with the same month last year.

Cork Airport recorded it’s warmest, driest and sunniest month since records began (in 1961), according to Met Éireann. With over 315 hours of sunshine recorded at the meteorological station, it was certainly an excellent month for inbound visitors – experiencing Cork and the South of Ireland in the fine weather. A plethora of local festivals and events throughout the latter half of July ensured that there were plenty activities for visitors to enjoy while spending time here.

Commenting on July passenger traffic, Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director at Cork Airport said: “July saw a very busy month with passenger numbers of 360,740. The overall number of passengers is down on the same month in the prior year due to the effects of some market consolidation by Ryanair. We are delighted with the performance and growth of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Air France, Aer Lingus, Aer Lingus Regional and SunExpress who all grew their passenger numbers at Cork Airport in July versus the same month last year. On a year-to-date basis up to July 31, we are tracking -1% versus the same period last year, which was our busiest year ever. We are preparing now for the opening of our new mezzanine area in December 2026 which will further improve the passenger journey."