Aer Lingus to End Cork-Amsterdam Flights After 26 Years
Aer Lingus to Axe Cork-Amsterdam Route After 26 Years
Cork,Ireland - after a quarter-century of connecting cork and Amsterdam,Aer Lingus has announced it will discontinue its direct flight between the two cities starting March 17th. The move comes as the airline shifts its focus to new routes and faces increased competition from Dutch carrier KLM.
The Cork-Amsterdam route, established in 1998, has been a mainstay for travelers between Ireland and the Netherlands. Aer Lingus currently operates one or two flights daily between Sunday and Friday. Though, the airline cited ”changing travel demands” as the reason for the discontinuation.
“This decision was made after a thorough review of our route network,” Aer Lingus said in a statement. “Aer Lingus remains deeply committed to Cork and our valued customers in the south of Ireland. In line with this commitment, we have launched two new summer routes from Cork Airport to Bilbao and Bordeaux.”
The decision follows KLM’s entry into the Cork market in 2020, offering direct flights to Schiphol Airport. KLM currently operates two daily flights from Cork, mirroring Aer Lingus’s previous schedule.
While Aer Lingus previously had a codesharing agreement with KLM for long-haul connections out of Amsterdam, the Dutch airline’s direct flights have intensified competition on the route.
Officials at the DAA, which operates Cork and dublin airports, remain optimistic about the future of Amsterdam connectivity. They hope KLM will expand its service to three flights per day or introduce larger aircraft to meet demand.
The loss of the Amsterdam route is a blow to Cork Airport, which saw passenger numbers on the route surge post-pandemic. Data from the Central Statistics office shows a significant increase from just under 160,000 passengers in 2019 to over 208,000 in 2023.
Despite the discontinuation, Cork Airport emphasized the continued availability of direct flights to Amsterdam through KLM.
“We would like to thank Aer Lingus for their 26 years of continual service on this route,” the airport said in a statement. “Simultaneously occurring, direct connectivity with Amsterdam Schiphol will be maintained with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines offering twice-daily services to Amsterdam, with the ability to connect onwards to over 150 destinations.”
The move leaves Aer Lingus operating just six year-round flights from Cork: London-Heathrow, Malaga, Lanzarote, Tenerife, Bristol (operated by Aer Lingus Regional), and Glasgow (also operated by Aer Lingus Regional). The airline will also offer seven seasonal routes to Bilbao, Lyon, Munich, Faro, Bordeaux, Dubrovnik, and Mallorca.
Aer Lingus Exits Cork-Amsterdam Route Despite Passenger surge
Cork, Ireland: After 26 years, Aer Lingus is ending its direct service between Cork and Amsterdam, effective March 17th. The airline cites “changing travel demands” as the reason, despite passenger numbers on the route surging post-pandemic.While Aer lingus offered one or two flights daily between Sunday and Friday, KLMS entry into the Cork market in 2020 with its own twice-daily flights to Schiphol introduced direct competition.
Even though Aer Lingus previously codeshared with KLM for long-haul connections out of Amsterdam, the Dutch carrier’s direct flights have intensified the rivalry.
The move, though a blow to Cork Airport, will not leave travelers without direct Amsterdam connectivity. KLM will continue to offer its twice-daily service, with the potential to increase to three flights daily or use larger aircraft, according to Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) officials.
Cork Airport emphasized the continued availability of direct Amsterdam flights through KLM, stating, “Direct connectivity with Amsterdam Schiphol will be maintained with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines offering twice-daily services to Amsterdam, with the ability to connect onwards to over 150 destinations.”
Aer Lingus maintains its commitment to Cork, highlighting the launch of two new summer routes to Bilbao and Bordeaux. Besides these additions, Aer Lingus will continue operating six year-round routes from Cork: London-Heathrow, Malaga, Lanzarote, tenerife, Bristol (operated by Aer Lingus Regional), and Glasgow (also operated by Aer Lingus Regional). Seven seasonal routes will also be offered to Bilbao, Lyon, Munich, Faro, Bordeaux, Dubrovnik, and Mallorca.