Same goes for SNN, and given they can set their own charges, they are Cork's biggest problem now IMHO, as the FR move of the Polish flights demonstrates.
Even if Cork could it wouldn't make a big difference. How many years is SNN charging Ryanair €1 per passenger or even per flight sustainable/ SNN have gone in so low with Ryanair they have not power to increase charges long term. Any movement on such charges will result in what happened a few days ago.
As ORK pointed out on twitter, Ryanair and Aer Lingus could easily start a route and get discounts of up to 100% for the first few years.
I accept that airlines generally opt for the most profitable routes but I still think that they are much more inclined to take risks from their main base. Is a route like Dublin Bologna or Dublin Stockholm really that more profitable than Cork Frankfurt?
A new route for Aer Lingus at Cork means a new aircraft based at Cork and requires more than a new route and a risk not many could take. They won't base a second aircraft at SNN. To late this year but Cork really need to try and get those 5 weekly flights back from SNN in 2015 which would be a big step. Ryanair may help with that by doing a 3 weekly SNN-FAO and Ryanair have upped SNN-AGP to 4 weekly during peak summer which may also reduces yield for EI's new service. Won't be easy to it's very important they get those back.
As for profitably of DUB-Stockholm and Bologna, the answer is probably yes as EI have booted Ryanair off the route in October. FR may use the aircraft excuse but if it was a money spinner it would be here now. Bologna with EI have lots of tour operators block booking which helps.
ABZ have a FRA link 3 times daily, ORK should be able to get LH to fly at least once daily or even 5 weekly. German tour operators would boost the service. A while ago SNN stated they were looking for LH. Not a big benefit to EI serving FRA apart form O&D traffic. Even Germanwings who serve NOC seasonally which is largely an IT flight.
People say it's the daa but how hard are management at ORK really working to secure flights?
It wouldn't be unrealistic to have a 3rd EIR aircraft based at ORK either, SNN-MAN has better freq than ORK which is amazing and if it works there during the summer it really should at Cork.