Blackpool!? The locals from Cork's own northside suburb of Blackpool will have a laugh and enjoy seeing 'Blackpool' on Cork Airport's TVs and montiors! If the old terminal was still in use you can just imagine the sort of humor that would be stirred up by pub talk of flights from the airport to Blackpool! It would be a scream!
So it looks like Blackpool is to replace Budapest? What can one say? All new routes ought to be welcomed and you can imagine Jet2 doing well on the new Blackpool route in the summer months at the very least. I know one large family that live in Cork and Tipperary whom I am certain will be regular users of a flight to Blackpool. Meeting some of 'em later for the Christmas and they will be delighted at the news. Something else to drink to!
Budapest. What a disappointment! Right up there withe the disappointments of Jetmagic, easyJet and CSA. There had been a rumor of Malev dropping about two routes but little had I expected Cork to be one of them. All this bo!!ix about Cork being Malev's longest European sector etc - talk about allowing them off the hook and with average load factors of between 75% & 90% to boot! This would not have happened at Shannon, I will give them that much.
Cork Airport will never have a North Atlantic flight as long as it is a part of the Dublin Airport Authority. Also, there has been little reaction about Budapest from Cork's public representatives unlike the clamour from the midwest after EI announced the end of snn-LHR flights.
Cork is getting what it deserves from the airport and from it's public representatives. The only thing about the terrible news from Budapest is there will be a little less boasting about the end of year figures in a few days time. The
PR spin will have to be just a little tamer now.
Cork gets Blackpool and Carcassone and loses Budapest.
Shannon gets CDG x 2 and hangs on the JFK, EWR, BOS, ORD, PHL & ATL and loses LHR.
Running rings around does come to mind.