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THE FIRST DIRECT transatlantic flight in Cork Airport’s 56-year history has taken off this afternoon.
Norwegian Air flight D81821 is travelling from Cork to Boston/Providence in the US.
The new service will operate three times a week – on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Speaking ahead of the flight, Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director at Cork Airport, thanked staff from Norwegian Air and the airport who made the new route possible.
“I would like to thank especially all of our stakeholders, on both sides of the Atlantic, who assisted us with their support to secure the granting of the licence.”
There had been delays in the US Department of Transportation granting Norwegian Air a foreign carrier’s permit due to opposition from US airlines and trade unions, which claimed American jobs would be lost as a result.
Tourism
MacCarthy said the development is good news for tourism in the region, noting: “Thousands of US visitors can now land right here in Cork to start their journey on the Wild Atlantic Way and throughout Ireland’s Ancient East.
This will bring jobs, revenue and tourism growth directly to businesses and towns throughout the South of Ireland and grow our regional economy.
Norwegian Air CEO Bjorn Kjos added: “The first-ever transatlantic flights from Cork is a huge milestone for the airport, Norwegian and most of all passengers.”
Tourism Ireland Chief Executive Niall Gibbons said the new route is “excellent news” for tourism in Cork and the south of Ireland.
“Last year, we welcomed a record 1.6 million North American visitors to the island of Ireland, worth over €1.3 billion to our economy.
“Tourism Ireland has prioritised North America for 2017, as a market which offers a strong return on investment, in terms of holiday visitors and expenditure.,” Gibbons said.
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Great news for the south. Hopefully the first of many!
@Tweety McTweeter: Cork Airport has so much potential!
@Blarneykite: ya, 10 minutes from the city centre, such a trek!
@Marty Hayes: on a hill = dangerous e.g. Fog
@6ljJQRRU: ah stop will you! Heathrow gets closed more every year than Cork does and Heathrow is on a flatland.
Cork colours and all like
@P-O-B:
A big Cork phallic symbol
Excellent news. The more connections to this country the better. Other figures show the number of tourists from North America are up 20% on last year. That’s no accident, it’s all about connectivity.
Great to see this take off (pin intented). I would prefer they honest and call it Cork – Providence. It’s not even in the same state as Boston!
@Conor Power: great pin Conor.
@Conor Power: providence is great for me. I have friends in warwick. Which is next to the airport
@Paul Furey: Thanks, really should read before hitting post.
Check the real price
@lez ferguson:
The market will decide if it’s good value or not. Otherwise, it’s great news to finally have a transatlantic service from Cork.
If it saves a 2hr drive to Shannon or 3hr drive to Dublin, people will probably be willing to pay an extra premium
@lez ferguson:
No mention of any prices in the article
@lez ferguson: why don’t u tell us the real price instead?
@Kevin O’ Brien: priced them up myself seems good value
@Tweety McTweeter. You might save time on the Cork side but beware that you are landing over 60miles from Boston. However it is great to have this link as another choice for Irish and US travellers. Its great progress and I really hope it stays viable.
@Aidan O’Leary:
Y
@Aidan O’Leary:
Yep. And it will also help to direct tourists directly to the south rather than expecting them to find their own way down
@Aidan O’Leary: so a $12 30 minute bus ride is worse than a 2 hour trip from cork to Dublin and more expensive than airport parking in Dublin?
@lez ferguson: dinner is not provided
It costs 65 a head
@Quentin Moriarty: Seriously, 65? Still, wouldn’t you have to check in early? 90 minutes for Dublin and there’s so much waiting around when you’re that early that you’d eat a meal before boarding, usually. I love flying but it’s very boring waiting to board.
Is the flight full, I wonder?
@Peter: Yes.Fully booked.
@Peter: Norwegian have stated that the average percentage of the bookings on the route coming both ways is just above 90% just as everyone in Cork knew it would be.
@Tom Collins: Everyone on cork had done there research into the market and also considered the costings. Well done to everyone in cork.
@Free comment ratings: cute Cork whoers.
@Free comment ratings: everybody knew because the South West is a far more popular destination with tourists than the Shannon region, a cursory glance at the Failte Ireland numbers will tell you this. Shannon’s US routes live and die on traffic from the US side, a direct route to Cork would be far more appealing for US tourists than having to pass though Shannon.
Not into flying intercontinental in a 737. No screens either. I’ll stick to Aer Lingus thanks. You know what your getting
@Phil Keenan:
You do indeed, a big hole in your bank account
@Phil Keenan: you do realize that the vast majority of Shannon aerlingus transatlantic flights are single body airbus planes with limited entertainment?
@China Photo Daily: I think you mean narrow body. I hope ALL planes flying are single body!
@Phil Keenan: your getting rode on the rim with them crowd
Wait till o Leary starts transatlantic
Everyone gets a catheter on boarding
Providence is in Rhode Island. It’s an hour and a half drive to Boston from there.
@Larry Smierciak: Yes that’s great, it saves me 3 hours so.
@Larry Smierciak: An hour on the Boston commuter rail from Providence Airport to South Station in Boston. Direct train
The next bit of news about this airline will be when there pulling out of cork … due to lack of passenger’s.. or landing charges are to high .. watch this space .
@Terry O’Callaghan: unlikely,
Wow will go but this route will do well
All they have to do now is sort out the old terminal…Crazy potential for Cork…
@Brian Leahy: the new terminal is way better, isn’t near capacity and can be extended. Cork airport needs an runway extension so that they can get more Transatlantic routes. Brexit will hit hard and they need to look West.
Great news and long overdue, many thought it would never happen. Looks like this route will be a success! Badly needed after a difficult month for the airport, Brexit hitting hard, Aerlingus killing the codeshare with KLM (and essentially the Amsterdam route) and the disappointing Wow numbers.
Cork Airport needs this badly with the new events centre still on the cards this will make it essential going forward
Fingers crossed it makes it
What’s the story with Norwegian airlines operating routes here.. I’d understand if their flights went to Oslo. Seems odd
What’s the story with Ryanair having flights from Warsaw to Alicante? Open skies and open market. Long may it last.
@Colin Kelly: It’s called a business model. You figure out how to do something that makes a profit then you do it. If you’re strong enough to overcome the resistance that inevitably comes your way then fair f*cks to you. I’m on that flight Tuesday meself. Looking forward to it!
@Virtual Architect:
The reason is that Norwegian is an Irish registered airline. NAS operates most of its routes and as Norway is not in the EU it would not have a license to operate flights in the EU. NAS is technically an Irish carrier, something Ryanair has been trying to fight legally to remove the competition. Operating flights from Cork to the US will obviously have a business justification but it also ticks the box to help them with their Irishness.
@Donncha Ó Coileáin: All for competition but I don’t think we should get it from a foreign airline.. Highlights our own problems I guess as we should be able to provide these options ourselves.
Poland 40m
Ireland 5m
Big difference in demand so not a valid point
@Nick Allen: Good info. Thanks
@Virtual Architect: Wasn’t arguing it from a business perspective. There is more to a business model than just profits
@Colin Kelly:
NAS actually employ a lot of people in Ireland, particularly in aircraft maintenance. They fly their planes into Dublin to maintained by Irish workers paying Irish tax. Over the last few years they have really upped the numbers of workers here. This again helps them prove their irishness. About 3 years ago Ryanair were making progress with their (understandable) complaints to the EU. On a side note, all the people who want us to leave the EU would be kissing these jobs goodbye. Even if it were to gather any momentum it would have NAS looking for another EU base to register itself in
Even though they are not in the EU, Norway is a party to the EU – US open skies treaty. Norwegian doesn’t need to be based in Dublin to fly to the states unrestricted.
Norway does have very strong labour unions in the aviation sector which forces Norwegian to provide very high wages to their pilots and cabin crew. Their Irish and UK subsidiaries on the other hand hire crew through a Thai based manpower agency at a much cheaper rate.
@Crocodylus Pontifex:
Sorry but you are wrong, NAS is registered as an Irish airline so that it can fly in the EU. Just google it and you will find out.
Check the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) which Norway is part of and Open Skies (revised 2010) EU US bilateral. Both will show that Norwegian gained no access rights advantage by registering in Ireland, contrary to what is often claimed in the United States by the pilots’ unions.
@Crocodylus Pontifex:
If you read my posts I am saying that NAS is registered as an Irish airline in order to fly in the EU. The open skies agreement is open to all EU airline, one of which is NAS. Whether they use that or not for access to the US I do not know but there is no argument on the fact that they are registered here to use the EU
@Donncha Ó Coileáin: The majority of Ryanair’s 1600 plus flights per day are intra European Donnacha.
Ryanair have been flying all over Europe from destinations all over Europe for many years.. The EU has had internal open skies since 1994.
Well take a few flights out of Ireland West Please
Yes, people showed up for this nonsense sponsored by American evangelical churches.
How many of the people who showed up were there for the counter-demonstration?
@Todd Hebert: & this has exactly what to do with flights from Cork to Providence?
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