The New Year took off to a bustling start for Ireland's leading airports, with a combined total of 2.3 million passengers passing through the terminals of Cork and Dublin Airport in January.

The Dublin Airport Authority (daa) reported that Cork Airport welcomed 183,000 passengers, while just over two million passengers navigated through Dublin Airport.

In January, Cork Airport facilitated 1,387 flights, while Dublin Airport witnessed a departure count of 16,817 flights. Heathrow Airport in London emerged as the top destination for travelers during this period.

Kenny Jacobs, the CEO of daa, attributed the robust passenger numbers to a desire for warmer climates, particularly amid Ireland's cold and dreary weather.

He noted that holidaymakers sought refuge in flights to the Canaries, while routes to central and eastern Europe experienced high demand from skiing enthusiasts. Jacobs also highlighted the strong presence of business travelers at both airports, indicating a positive start to the year for corporate air travel.

Cork Airport demonstrated remarkable growth, with January passenger traffic up by 14% compared to the same month in 2023.

Jacobs commended the operations team for achieving an impressive on-time departure rate of nine out of 10 flights during the 'first wave' of departures (5.45 am-7.30 am) at Cork Airport.

While Dublin Airport reported passenger numbers in line with those in January 2023, Jacobs mentioned that there is room for growth.

The daa continues to manage passenger levels strategically to ensure compliance with the 32 million cap on the number of passengers traveling through the airport's two terminals. As the aviation landscape forges ahead in 2024, both Cork and Dublin Airports are poised for another vibrant and busy year.