Government ministers get investment update at Cork Airport

Ireland’s Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien, and Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Jerry Buttimer, visited Cork Airport yesterday to see how the gateway’s €200 million capital development plan is taking shape.

The ministers and their officials were welcomed by airport managing director, Niall MacCarthy, and airport management and received a detailed briefing on the various elements of the daa Group’s €200 million capital development programme.

Following the briefing, the ministers performed the official ribbon cutting ceremony for the new staff and goods security screening area, which was completed over a three-month period, on-time and on-budget by PJ Hegarty & Sons, working with daa Infrastructure and AtkinsRéalis, the design team.

All images courtesy of daa/Darragh Kane.

The ministers and department officials also had the opportunity to take a tour and view the progress on the new mezzanine floor, which will be the location of the airport’s new passenger security screening area.

This facility, which will open in December of this year, is also progressing on-time and on-budget and the Ministers were provided with a tour by representatives of PJ Hegarty & Sons., construction partners for the project along with members of the daa Infrastructure team.

Managing director at Cork Airport, Niall MacCarthy said: “Cork Airport experienced its highest ever passenger numbers last year and was named Best Regional Airport in Europe by ACI Europe.

“Our capital programme, once complete, will put in the infrastructure to handle five million passengers and beyond. We are proud of delivering quality infrastructure projects, on-time and on-budget, and compliment our construction partners and team.”

Speaking on the occasion of his visit to Cork Airport, Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien TD, said: “I am heartened to see that daa’s capital programme is proceeding at pace and demonstrating on-time, on-budget delivery.

“Once completed, this development programme will deliver efficiencies along with a better passenger experience for all those who will travel through the airport.”

Echoing Minister O’Brien’s comments, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Jerry Buttimer TD, added: “Cork Airport supports over 12,000 jobs in our region and is responsible for an economic impact of over €1 billion.

“I’m delighted to see the infrastructure expansion and I am engaging strongly to improve public transport links to make the airport more accessible across the region.”