A new Aer Lingus Regional service from Cork Airport to Bristol is set to launch next month.
Emerald Airlines, the sole operator of Aer Lingus Regional services, will begin operating the year-round Cork-Bristol route from 26 April, providing additional connectivity between the south of Ireland and south-west England.
The service will be conducted by an ATR-72 turboprop aircraft, with seat capacity of 72 seats each way.
“We are thrilled to welcome Emerald Airlines, operating as Aer Lingus Regional to Cork Airport," said Niall MacCarthy, managing director of Cork Airport.
"The Bristol route from Cork has huge pent-up demand for leisure and business customers travelling in both directions.
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"Emerald Airlines will deliver a top-class service and I am confident that people across the South of Ireland will strongly support this new service.”
Ciarán Smith, head of commercial at Emerald Airlines, said: “Today’s announcement is a much anticipated one and will no doubt be warmly welcomed by passengers travelling for both business and travel pleasure purposes.
"We are delighted to be providing increased travel options from Cork and look forward to working alongside our counterparts at Cork Airport to ensure the great success of this route.
"With more flights and more choice for the travelling public, we are progressively bolstering our 2023 schedule, with over 2.5m seats on sale, across 30 routes and 19 destinations in Ireland, UK, and Channel Islands.”
Tara Finn, head of aviation business development at Cork Airport, said: "Cork Airport has bounced back very strongly in 2023 with the support of the Irish Government and our loyal passenger base across the South of Ireland.
"The passenger experience at Cork Airport is friendly, convenient, and hassle-free. We welcome Emerald Airlines, operating as Aer Lingus Regional to Cork Airport and I am sure that they will grow their presence strongly here in the future.”
Cork Airport will offer 45 scheduled routes serving the UK, France, The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, and Croatia this summer.
Nine airlines will operate services at Cork Airport in 2023 – Ryanair, Aer Lingus, KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, Vueling, SWISS, TUI, and Emerald Airlines.
Photo: (l-r) Mary Christie, customer service agent, Aer Lingus; Tara Finn; Niall MacCarthy; Geraldine Gokul, operations supervisor, Aer Lingus; and Roy O’Driscoll, deputy managing director, Cork Airport. (Pic: Brian Lougheed)
