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07/06/2026

Plans to research Cork Airport flight routes ahead of Waterford Airport redevelopment

Cllr Eamon Quinlan made the suggestion at the May meeting of the Waterford Metropolitan District

Waterford City and County Council is set to conduct research on the flight routes serviced by Cork Airport ahead of Waterford Airport’s redevelopment.

Fianna Fáil councillor Eamon Quinlan made the suggestion at the May meeting of the Waterford Metropolitan District.

Cllr Quinlan said: “I flew out from Cork Airport to Edinburgh a few weeks ago and I was surprised that Cork doesn’t actually service as many routes as I thought.

“We have economic monitoring reports here quite regularly. I think it’s an idea for [us] to survey the type of routes that people in the South East and Waterford want to travel on when Waterford Airport is up and running that perhaps aren’t being offered by Cork.”

He also called for research to be done on which destinations can provide tourists travelling to Waterford in the other direction.

“More importantly, which cities and other countries are positively predisposed to come in as tourists to visit Waterford.

“We don’t want Waterford Airport to simply be a way that money exits Waterford but also a way in which a lot of money is invested through those who come into Waterford.”

In response, Ned Brennan, Director of Services at Waterford City and County Council, said that the council can conduct research in relation to the points made by Cllr Quinlan.

Mr Brennan concluded by saying he would discuss the matter with the council’s tourism department.

07/06/2026

Ryanair issues ‘important’ alert to passengers over major change at airports

Ryanair has issued an ‘important’ alert to passengers with upcoming bookings, warning of a major change at European borders.

In emails to customers, the airline explained that the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) has been in place at all Schengen Area external borders since April, and as a result, passport control may now take longer for some travellers.

Who is affected?

The change applies to anyone holding a non-EU, non-EEA or non-Swiss passport who is flying into or out of the Schengen Area.

Crucially for Irish travellers, that includes flights between the Schengen Area and Ireland and the UK.

Ryanair said commonly affected routes include flights between the Schengen Area and countries such as Ireland, the UK, Cyprus, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Türkiye, Egypt and Israel.

Affected passengers may need to scan their passport, provide fingerprints and have a facial image taken at passport control. Because of these more extensive checks, longer queues are likely to form, particularly at busy airports, and potentially before security too.
Who is NOT affected?

EU, EEA and Swiss passport holders are not affected, and neither is anyone flying within the Schengen Area – for example, from Spain to Italy or from Germany to France.
What you should do

If you’re affected, Ryanair advises arriving at the airport early to allow for queues, having all your travel documents ready, and following signs marked ‘EES / Passport Control.’

The airline also moved to manage expectations on responsibility, telling passengers: ‘If you are denied entry, this will be due to EU policy, not Ryanair’s rules.’

07/06/2026

Dublin Airport passenger cap may be axed within weeks
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien set to bring legislation to Cabinet

Politicians could axe the 32 million a-year limit on passengers at Dublin Airport within weeks after Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien brings legislation to Cabinet this month.

Airlines and State airports company DAA have been urging the Government to end the so-called “passenger cap” before an EU court ruling forces regulators to implement it, severely cutting flights at the country’s biggest gateway.

O’Brien will bring the full text of the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026, giving the Minister the power to end or change the limit, to Cabinet on Tuesday June 16th, according to a Government source familiar with the matter.

This should pave the way for the Dáil and Seanad to debate the legislation in the succeeding weeks, potentially passing it into law by mid-July, ending a controversy that has run for several years.

Irish and North American airlines recently warned politicians of consequences ranging from US sanctions to economic damage resulting from the loss of flights if they failed to remove the passenger limit which has been in place for 19 years.

The Government pledged to remove the cap, following consultation with all stakeholders, when it took office early last year.

07/06/2026

US government delays decision again on sanctions over Dublin Airport passenger cap
US airline lobby group has been pushing for retaliation

The US government has again pushed back the deadline for deciding whether or not to impose sanctions or curtail flights from Ireland to America because of the passenger cap at Dublin Airport.

It’s the latest extension to the deadline by the US Department of Transportation as it’s pressed by powerful lobby group Airlines for America (A4A) to punish the Irish government for the cap.

A4A has claimed the cap has harmed the economic interests of its member airlines, which include carriers such as Delta, JetBlue and United.

The organisation asked the US Department of Transportation to retaliate by potentially cutting the number of flights that would be permitted by Irish carriers to operate to the United States. That could have severe implications for Aer Lingus, which has an extensive transatlantic network.

The previous deadline set by the Department of Transportation for making a decision was June 5.

However, it has now extended that deadline to July 6.

“Intergovernmental discussions to resolve the matter and other significant related activities have occurred including the exchange of several letters and other recent engagements, and those efforts are continuing,” noted Benjamin Taylor, the director of the Department’s Office of International Aviation in a notice to parties.

He said that it’s the department’s view that these developments meet the requirements necessary to further extend the deadline for an additional 30-day period.

The cap at Dublin Airport ostensibly limits the amount of annual passengers it is permitted to handle to 32 million.

However, last year the airport handled 36.4 million.

The government is pushing through legislation to remove the cap. It’s hoping that it will be passed by both houses next month before the summer break.

It’s also seen as crucial that the bill is enacted before a crunch ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

An advocate general of the court issued an opinion in February that the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) should be permitted to restrict aircraft take-off and landing slots at Dublin Airport so that its cap isn’t breached.

It had been expected that the court would issue a final ruling within weeks, but it could now be September before that happens. That has given the government additional breathing room to pass its legislation.

A4A has previously warned that if the court agrees with its advocate general, the decision would destroy “the foundation of aviation slot allocation” and would have sweeping implications across the EU and globally.

If the Government can get legislation enacted before the Court of Justice issues a final judgment, then the High Court may have an opportunity to withdraw its request to the CJEU for a preliminary ruling on the issues it referred to the court in Luxembourg, according to Airlines for America.

The High Court referred a number of matters to the CJEU in 2024. That was on foot of a legal action taken against the IAA by airlines including Aer Lingus.

The IAA wanted to limit the number of available take-off and landing slots at Dublin Airport to ensure the gateway complied with the planning condition restricting the annual amount of passengers it can handle to 32 million.

07/06/2026

Dublin will once again take centre stage in the global aviation finance calendar when the Aircraft Leasing Ireland (ALI) Summit 2026 takes place on 10th November 2026 at the InterContinental Hotel. Organised by Aircraft Leasing Ireland, the representative body for the sector, the event will bring to

04/06/2026

Bill to prevent munitions travelling through Shannon Airport introduced

A new bill designed to prevent munitions travelling through Shannon Airport in County Clare has been introduced.

The bill, put forward by the Social Democrats, would prevent US military use of Shannon Airport and Irish airspace.

The party’s Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Senator Patricia Stephenson, said they believe the proposed legislation would put an end to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) flights coming through Shannon.

“This Bill seeks to uphold Irish neutrality, sovereignty and international law,” Senator Stephenson said.

“Shannon Airport has been used as a transit hub for US military operations for decades now, and recent reporting in the media has raised serious questions about the scale of those activities and the lack of transparency surrounding them.

“We learned earlier last month that hundreds more US military aircraft passed through Irish airspace than had previously been disclosed to the government, with the Department of Foreign Affairs later attributing this to an administrative error.

“At the same time, reports consistently highlighted the role of commercial aircraft providers carrying weapons through Irish territory.”

Senator Stephenson emphasised that under Irish air navigation law, carrying munition through Irish airspace requires an exemption from the transport minister, “but exemptions have not been applied for”.

“The government claims that it does not have sufficient powers to inspect the commercial operators transporting arms and munitions through the state,” she continued.

“This bill will introduce a random inspection and enforcement regime, with penalties for flight operators who breach Ireland’s rules on the transportation of munitions. It also responds to long held and growing public concern about Ireland’s complicity in actions linked to human rights abuses.

“I’m deeply concerned about the use of Irish territory in the context of cruel deportation flights carried out by ICE in the US, which have been recorded as landing in Shannon Airport between May 2025 and February this year. This government should play no part in these removals.

“We have reports of Palestinian people being shackled on planes and deported to the West Bank, an occupied territory – this is illegal under international law. This bill seeks to extend what qualifies as a state aircraft by including customs flights, which would be required to abide by human rights law and seek exemptions before landing in Shannon.

“This bill is about oversight, accountability and ensuring that Ireland is not facilitating the movement of weapons or participation in actions that undermine international law, human rights, or the values we claim to uphold.”

Earlier this year, following an incident where a private jet containing Palestinian-Americans being deported to the West Bank was allowed to refuel twice in Shannon Airport, the Department of Transport said the plane wouldn’t have needed any prior authorisation to be allowed entry into the country.

“Stops at Irish airports by private aircraft and commercial charters which are technical stops for non-traffic purposes (i.e. not picking up or setting down passengers), do not require prior authorisation from the Department of Transport,” a spokesperson told the Irish Independent.

Irish anti-war activists have been protesting the transport of US military troops, weapons and prisoners through Shannon Airport for more than a decade.

04/06/2026

Dublin Airport ready to connect the world with the World Cup during June

While Ireland may not be taking to the pitch at this summer’s FIFA World Cup in North America, Dublin Airport will still have a key role to play in the tournament, connecting thousands of football supporters from across the UK and Europe with the biggest sporting event on the planet.

Dublin Airport is expecting up to 10,000 football fans to pass through its terminals during the tournament as they travel onwards to host cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico to support their national teams.

Dublin ranks among Europe’s top five airports for direct connectivity to North America.

Supporters travelling through Dublin Airport will be able to connect onwards to many of the cities hosting World Cup matches, including New York/New Jersey, Boston, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver.

Dublin Airport spokesperson Graeme McQueensaid: “Ireland may not be competing at this summer’s World Cup, but Dublin Airport will still be helping fans get to the action.

“We are expecting thousands of football supporters from across the UK and continental Europe to connect through Dublin Airport on their way to support their teams, utilising the 200+ weekly flights to more than 20 cities in North America that Dublin Airport has to offer this summer, as well as our US Preclearance facilities, which enable passengers to complete US immigration and customs checks before departure, making arrival in the United States faster and more convenient.

“We’re already starting to see fans heading stateside and the flow of passengers is set to pick up pace this week ahead of the tournament kicking off on June 11.

“In particular, we’re expecting to see lots of Scottish and English fans heading to the US, as well as fans from the likes of the Netherlands, Spain and France.

“Last Saturday morning also saw Dublin Airport facilitate the departure of the Qatar national squad, who set off for Los Angeles aboard a special Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER aircraft adorned with a unique FIFA livery,” added McQueen.

The large numbers heading to North America will help make this the busiest summer in Dublin Airport’s history, with more than 11 million passengers set to travel through the airport between June and the end of August.

02/06/2026

Councillor calls for poll on favoured Waterford Airport destinations

A local councillor has called for a poll to be carried out to determine favoured destinations from Waterford Airport.

At the most recent meeting of Waterford City and County Council, Fianna Fáil Councillor Eamon Quinlan raised the need for the local authority to spend money in advance of the return of passenger aircraft to Waterford Airport to survey the public to establish what destinations are actually in demand.

He also advised the Council that assessments of other European cities should be carried out to find locations from which people are inclined to visit Waterford and use the airport.

Cllr Quinlan said: “I recently flew from Cork Airport to Edinburgh and I was surprised to see just how many destinations that people like to travel to which were not available on their list of destinations. This gives us an opportunity to spend a little money on a survey of the public to identify locations in demand that aren’t being serviced through Cork, that people in the South-East want to go to. We also need to identify which countries have populations which would be interested in visiting us. We do very well with markets in Germany, Norway, North America etc. While an airport with commercial passenger flights will be very welcome to local people who want to travel and make Waterford a much more desirable location for people to live in, it is important it isn’t just a means for capital to leave the region. New tourists regularly coming in are constantly visiting things like museums, restaurants, hotels etc. and this could really boost our local economy.”

In response to Cllr Quinlan, Director of Services for Economic Development and Enterprise, Mr Ned Brennan advised that the Council was prepared to spend money on such public surveys in a show of partnership with the airport.

Ultimate decisions will be made on a commercial basis by the airport’s operator, once installed, he said.

“I think this is a very positive move by the Council,” said Cllr Quinlan. “It shows those who are willing to invest in Waterford that we are prepared to assist in the overall success of such projects.”

02/06/2026

Cork Airport celebrates return of key route to European business hub with Lufthansa
'Intensive talks' brought route back following closure of subsidiary airline

Cork Airport bosses - and people travelling or doing business between Munster and Germany - are happy to see Lufthansa back with their route to Frankfurt.

The key service to Germany's financial capital was hit earlier this year by the decision by Germany's national carrier to ground its Cityline subsidiary, taking 27 planes out of service and shutting down less busy routes all over Europe. The Cork-Frankfurt route was due to expand to a six-times-per-week service for the summer season this year, before Lufthansa made the decision to cut 80 routes across Europe.

These are very volatile times for the airline industry and Cork Airport is seeing services come and go - just last week, a new service to northern Spain started.

However, yesterday saw the service to Frankfurt return, on a bi-weekly basis, until the end of October. And Cork Airport was celebrating, saying: "As of today, German flag-carrier Lufthansa is back at Cork Airport, flying a twice-weekly service (Mon, Fri) to Frankfurt Airport until the end of October.

We're thrilled to see the return of this key European route, which is a vital link for trade, commerce, inbound tourism and worldwide connectivity."

There had been fears that this key, direct route to Germany had been lost for good. However, ater "intensive engagement" with Cork Airport, Lufthansa Group brought back flights from Cork to one of Europe's central transport hubs.

The Cork-Frankfurt route was introduced in 2021 and has also proved a very popular route for tourists as well as a key route for business, trade and commerce as the German airport serves the financial hub of Germany.

Frankfurt-Cork flights are back every Monday and Friday until October The service will operate using a larger Airbus A319 aircraft, with a seat capacity of 138, a big boost compared with Lufthansa Cityline’s previous 90-seater aircraft, and continuing the best connectivity between Ireland and Frankfurt outside of Dublin. The service will have a 17:05 departure time and enable connections to destinations including other European cities, and further connectivity to Asia, the Middle East and South America.

02/06/2026

A brand new flight to northern Spain takes off from Cork Airport this week

Irish visitor numbers on the Camino are on the rise.

And now Cork pilgrims and holidaymakers can fly directly to the final stop on the famous walking route, as the new Aer Lingus service to Santiago de Compostela launches at Cork Airport.

The carrier will fly from Cork to Santiago de Compostela twice weekly (Monday and Thursday), from now through September 30th. From October 1st to the 23rd, it will fly on Wednesday and Saturday.

Known as the spiritual heart of Galicia, visitors to Santiago de Compostela can wander through the cobbled streets of its UNESCO-listed old town, where ornate buildings, arcaded squares and historic monasteries surround the magnificent Catedral de Santiago, the main attraction and the final stop on the Camino de Santiago.

This cathedral, which is believed to house the remains of Saint James (Santiago), draws visitors from across the world.

Walk this way

Last year, the Camino de Santiago Pilgrims Office recorded more than 530,000 pilgrims completing the Camino – the highest figure ever recorded and a six per cent increase on the previous year. Among the top 10 nationalities undertaking the pilgrimage, Irish pilgrims ranked eighth, with numbers up by five per cent compared with 2024.

Summer in Santiago de Compostela offers mild and pleasant temperatures, typically ranging from 18°C to 25°C, and visitors can sample local specialties such as pulpo a la gallega (octopus served with paprika and olive oil), empanada gallega (a savoury pie filled with seafood, meat or vegetables), and caldo gallego (traditional Galician soup with vegetables).

Don’t miss the famous Tarta de Santiago (a sweet almond cake dusted with icing sugar) for dessert.

Santiago de Compostela is the second of two new Aer Lingus routes from Cork Airport this summer, following the new twice-weekly service to Nice in France, which started in May. It’s also the sixth new route added by Aer Lingus at Cork Airport since April last year.

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