Lufthansa to return to Cork Airport after 18 year break

Cork Airport has welcomed the news that Lufthansa is to commence a twice-weekly Cork-Frankfurt service for Summer 2021, connecting the two cities for the first time in eighteen years.

Lufthansa (operated by Lufthansa CityLine) will operate a Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft with 75 seats on board – 15 Business Class and 60 Economy Class – offering two flights per week on Monday and Friday commencing on June 25.

Today’s announcement concludes intensive efforts made by Cork Airport to secure the German flag carrier to Cork in recent years.

The new Lufthansa operation will complement the existing Swiss International Airlines service, with both airlines offering seamless connectivity through their Lufthansa Group Hubs at Frankfurt and Zurich respectively.

Niall MacCarthy managing director at Cork Airport said: “These are challenging times for aviation globally, so it is heartening to see Lufthansa make this important decision now, to start services from Cork Airport this summer.

“We have worked long and hard over many years to secure connectivity to Frankfurt and beyond with Lufthansa for a myriad of businesses and internationally trading companies across the South of Ireland.

“Cork Airport will emerge once again as Ireland’s second-largest airport with the most passengers, routes and connectivity. Our new partnership with Lufthansa shows our ambition in this regard when international travel recovers from the effects of COVID-19.”

Cork Airport was Ireland’s fastest-growing and most punctual gateway coming into the COVID-19 pandemic a year ago.