Cork to NY flights expected soon

Cork Airport has said that flights to New York City will become a reality in the near future.

Niall McCarthy, the Managing Director of Cork Airport, was speaking at a conference in Cork where airport leaders from around Europe had assembled to discuss the fallout in the airline business after brexit.

Despite Norwegian Air ruling out flights to New York, Mr. McCarthy said he was confident an airline would introduce the route.

There has been a big demand for Cork to New York and I believe we will see it in the near future,” he said.

Also at the conference was Olivier Jankovec, the director general of Airports Continental International Europe, said that the “eyes of the regional aviation world” were on Cork ahead of the launch of Norwegian Air flights to Rhode Island beginning in July.

Mr Jankovec said that with airports struggling, all eyes were on Cork to see how their transatlantic flights play out.

“Cork is at the forefront, it is pioneering in long haul, low cost flying. The eyes of the regional aviation world are certainly on it,” he said.

“Of course the location of Ireland gives it an excellent advantage to develop that market. Cork is a fine example of all the innovation and an airport really fighting its corner when it comes to traffic growth and destinations. The long haul route will take it one step further,” he added.

Meanwhile, American aviation unions are opposing Norwegian Air flights from Ireland, and have appealed against the Department of Transportation’s decision to allow the airline to operate flights to the eastern seaboard, saying the decision “systematically violated virtually every basic rule of treaty interpretation.”

Norwegian Air hit back at those claims by saying that their Irish operations are not just a facade for regulators.

“Opponents claim that Ireland is simply a ‘flag of convenience’, In reality, NAI is headquartered in Dublin with 80 employees, 37 aircraft registered in Ireland, and already operate flights to and from Ireland, with many more routes planned,” the company said in a statement.