Cork Airport History

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Cork Airport is a fast growing airport situated just outside Cork City in the south of the Republic of Ireland. In August 2006, a state of the art new terminal was opened at Cork Airport which has the capacity to cater for the three million passengers the airport receives each year.

Cork Airport originally opened in October, 1961 and handled just over 10,000 passengers in its first year. However, the airport developed through the 1960s as Aer Lingus added routes to London Heathrow, Bristol and Manchester.

The airport was extended through the 1970 and 1980s. However, as the number of routes and passengers passing through the airport rocketed in the 1990s the need for a new terminal became apparent.

The completion of the new terminal has transformed Cork Airport into a modern airport with easy access and excellent facilities. A Great Southern Hotel was built adjacent to the airport in 2001, and the new terminal itself offers excellent dining facilities and everything a visitor arriving to Ireland could need, including hotel booking services and car hire companies at Cork Airport.

If you are visiting the Cork region, by far the best way to get around is by car. The region has a good public transport system, but hiring a car really allows you the freedom to explore. Thrifty Car Rentals has offices both at Cork Airport and Cork City. It offers a good range of vehicles at very competitive prices.

Thrifty also has outlets at Shannon Airport, Dublin Airport and Dublin City centre so you should be able to hire your car in Cork and drop it off at another outlet, or vice versa. Cork Airport is Ireland’s first airport terminal to be opened in the new millennium and offers a pleasant start to any trip to Ireland.