Cork Airport in Ireland has installed a new airbridge to help deal with the steady increase in passenger numbers and to provide relief for the airport’s existing airbridge.
The installation represents an investment of €450,000 (US$510,000) and is located at aircraft parking stand 8, adjacent to the existing bridge at stand 9. The airbridge was constructed by German conglomerate ThyssenKrupp and was transported from Spain.
The new airbridge is just one of a number of significant infrastructure investments being made at Cork Airport over the coming months, including the replacement of the airport’s car parking IT system.
Niall MacCarthy, managing director at Cork Airport, said, “The new airbridge marks a significant milestone for the airport as we return to positive passenger growth. It is a strong endorsement of our commitment to continuously improving the overall passenger experience and ensuring we are positioned for new airline partners in the future, particularly in preparation for the impending transatlantic route.
“Our existing airbridge, which is at stand 9, is being optimized by Aer Lingus on its 12 daily flights and the addition of the second airbridge is very welcome.”
Bill Daly, head of asset care at Cork Airport, said, “There are a number of challenges [when] installing a new airbridge and we received fantastic support from airport police, airside operations, our airline partners and ground handlers. We will be finalizing the installation over the coming days and I expect that the first passengers to experience the new airbridge will do so by the end of the month.”