A NEW flight between Cork and Zurich in Switzerland will begin next June.
Swiss Air announced the new route yesterday and will fly weekly each Friday from June and will increase to twice weekly, including a Monday flight, throughout July and August. The service will continue through the summer months until the end of September.
![Cork Airport.]()
Cork Airport.
Swiss Air will operate a Bombardier C Series aircraft, which carries 110 passengers. The new route means an additional 6,750 passengers in 2017.
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and Switzerland currently imports 5.5% of all Irish exports annually.
Niall MacCarthy, managing director at Cork Airport, said the route has great potential for both an outbound as well as an inbound market.
“Switzerland has been a target market of ours, primarily due to its close business and pharmaceutical connections with the region. But also, we have the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Ancient East, both right on our doorstep,” he said.
“The Swiss capital has plenty to offer those flying from Cork; Munster outbound tourists can take in the city and nearby Alpine sights. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with yet another new airline starting operations in Cork in 2017.”
Earlier this week Aer Lingus chief executive Stephen Kavanagh said the airline would be growing services in Cork, increasing the Cork to Heathrow route in peak months along with services to continental Europe.
There was further good news for Cork Airport this week after it won the Corporate Campaign of the Year Prize at the inaugural EU Public Affairs Awards 2016 in Brussels.
Cork Airport won the award for its ongoing efforts to secure its first ever direct transatlantic route with Norwegian Air International.
Despite political opposition and objection from some quarters in the US and closer to home, Cork Airport has surmounted obstacles and worked tirelessly to garner support for the airline’s proposed historic route on both sides of the Atlantic.
In partnership with Norwegian Air International, Cork Airport has gathered the backing of politicians locally, nationally and at European level through a structured and effective lobbying strategy. It has also engaged with US officials and politicians in its efforts and, ultimately, got the vocal support from President Obama.
Cork Airport’s Head of Communications Kevin Cullinane said: “We are absolutely delighted to win this award. It marks a point in our journey and efforts to finally land our first direct transatlantic routes.”
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