Blue skies as Cork Airport expansion plans soar

Business Post
Siobhán Maguire
20 June 2025

An ambitious new development plan was unveiled for Cork with a €200 million capital investment by DAA, the state-owned operator of both Dublin and Cork airports. 

“Works will start later this year on a new mezzanine floor in the terminal building which will extend over the existing Arrivals area, and will be home to a new, larger, state-of-the-art passenger security area with the latest security technology – C3 EDS. The construction of the new mezzanine floor will also provide the space for a new executive lounge, with a larger capacity that will be 30 per cent bigger than the current facility.

“We are also progressing with plans for the construction of a new 1.7Mw solar farm over the existing ‘Holiday Blue’ car park. This solar farm will provide 20 per cent of the airport’s electricity needs into the future and will be rather unique, as it will be constructed on steel frames which will double up as a canopy over parked cars.”

MacCarthy added there will be a larger duty-free shop, which will extend into what is currently a passenger security screening area. The airport will also install two new airbridges and convert an existing cargo building into two new boarding gates providing more capacity for passengers, enhance aircraft parking facilities and maintain quick aircraft turnarounds for customers.

The final element of the plan will be the demolition of the old terminal and control tower, which will allow the construction of a new pier with more boarding gates and aircraft parking stands.

Read on:   Blue skies as Cork Airport expansion plans soar | Business Post