Cork airport team ensure Christmas gets off to a flyer for many

The numbers forecasted to arrive and depart at Cork Airport over the Christmas and New Year period are up 3.5% compared with the same time last year, and its all shoulders to the wheel during a frenetic time, according to Mr Cotter.

The team will be making sure families reunite right up to this evening, when the last Christmas Eve flight arrives from Birmingham.

“Imagine the busiest period of the summer holidays, and condense it all into a couple of weeks. That’s Christmas at Cork Airport. People have been arriving home for a couple of weeks, some coming all the way from Australia.

“Friday was our busiest day, it was all hands on deck. Yes, it is very busy but when you see the magic that happens when grandchildren meet grandparents for the first time having come from Australia, or mothers and fathers hugging their children, or reuniting brothers and sisters, then you think we are in a very privileged position to help make it happen. It’s a wonderful time, and our staff more than play their part. We are very proud of them all.”

Each year the planning begins in earnest just a little earlier than the year before, as Cork Airport grows and grows.

“It can be months in advance. We’ll have an idea from the airlines in August, and that is usually pretty accurate. We firm up the details as we then go along. We have learned to be proactive rather than reactive in recent years, and the planning is down to a tee. Everyone knows their role and what it going to be required,” said Mr Cotter.

Over 2.4 million passengers will pass through Cork Airport in 2018, its third consecutive year of growth, and this will rise again in 2019 by a further 7% to 2.6 million.

In June 2017, Cork Airport was named Airport Council International (ACI) Best Airport in Europe in its class , serving under five million passengers, and has been lauded as one of the world’s friendliest airports.

The growth at Cork Airport has seen extended routes and services added this winter season, including Ryanair’s new winter service to Faro, Portugal, along with its London Luton route.

Aer Lingus has added capacity with its new Lisbon route, which started in October, as well as extending its Tenerife service to a twice weekly frequency.

It means families leaving Cork as well as coming home, Mr Cotter said.

“People are using the Christmas period more and more to take family holidays. It can be very expensive in summer, so we are seeing more and more people fly to the likes of Lisbon. It’s a holiday not likely to be forgotten by those families, and we are there to make the beginning of it as comfortable as possible.”

There will even be a crew working on Christmas Day, with a helicopter flight due to take off. Midnight on Christmas night, and the cycle begins again for the dedicated staff. The first departure for Amsterdam takes off at 6am on St Stephen’s Day.

“I’ll be here today, but home with my family for Santa in the morning and for Christmas dinner in the afternoon. Then it’s back up that night. Yes, there are sacrifices to be made by our staff, but knowing what they are doing to help families all over the region to have a good Christmas makes it worthwhile for them. I could not speak highly enough of the dedication and professionalism of the team in Cork Airport, they are second to none anywhere.”

Cork Airport is hosting over 30 school and adult choirs — gospel, traditional and orchestral — to get people into the festive mood throughout December.

The festive atmosphere helps keep the staff morale up during the busy season.

Mr Cotter said: “To have more than 30 choirs full of children and adults is fantastic. We have seen them brighten the halls every day, and when you see people waiting start to sing along and dance, then it really brings home what Christmas is all about.

"Everyone is here to enjoy themselves, and when you see families reunite, it puts the icing on the cake. Cork Airport has always been renowned for its friendliness, but the staff and public alike make it a wonderful airport for this most special time of the year.”