Anita Gackowska, Head of Aviation Marketing, Cork Airport: “We are constantly engaged with current and potential airline customers with a view to growing the range of destinations served from Cork Airport. We are in discussions with a number of airlines and are working hard to secure new routes.
Cork and the greater Munster region is a real hidden gem – both as a business and leisure destination. Three scheduled airlines – Aer Lingus, Aer Lingus Regional and Ryanair – together with Ireland’s leading outbound tour operators, operated services from Cork to over 50 destinations across Europe last year.
The strategy for further development is to work closely with key stakeholders, such as the Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ireland, and the many major international businesses that have their European offices in Cork, to identify the destinations needed to fulfil their requirements, not only for the business traveller but also the leisure traveller.
A key figure in realising that strategy is Anita Gackowska, Head of Aviation Marketing, who joined the airport in May, and described it as “an exciting new challenge”. “The airport is operating in a very competitive market, but we have managed to maintain fairly consistent traffic levels over a number of years, indicating a good base of travel both outbound and inbound,” she commented. “My priority since joining is to ensure that the airport is positioned well to attract new routes. There has been some excellent work done by my predecessors in attracting new routes, but I will use my experience to look at the market from a slightly different perspective, bearing in mind my overseas experience and also airline experience.”
Indeed, prior to joining Cork Airport, Gackowska was Head of Marketing at Aena Aeropuertos, having previously held positions with Vueling, easyJet and British Airways. “I have been at the other side of the table, so I understand some of the challenges airlines face when making important business decisions, such as starting a new route,” she added. “I will be, and have already started in some cases, working closely with our airline partners, both current and future, to build a long-term sustainable route network from Cork.”
Increased connectivity to key cities in Europe is a focus for the short-term, while a direct transatlantic route remains a medium-term objective and would be a major catalyst to the economic and tourism development in the region. The airport’s successful Route Incentive Scheme offers a 100% discount on airport charges for the first year of new routes, followed by an 80% discount in year two, and further discounts up to year five. “This gives airlines clarity on long-term spend – something that is needed to build long-term sustainable route profitability,” Gackowska commented. “Aer Lingus Regional has increased frequency on key UK provincial routes to Manchester and Birmingham from double-daily to three times daily on selected days. And a new Aer Lingus Regional route to Newcastle was launched earlier this year for its summer schedule in the context of a major expansion package by the regional carrier.”
A key strategic aim is securing a Cork-Dublin route, which would feed long-haul connecting flights from Dublin Airport, and is something Gackowska and her team have been actively pursuing and pitching to prospective airlines.
Cork Airport is also committed to securing jobs for Ireland through the ConnectIreland initiative. Gackowska explained how it works: “Through the initiative, anyone who hears of an overseas company thinking of expanding abroad, lets ConnectIreland know. ConnectIreland then does the rest and if jobs are secured in Ireland, a reward is paid to the initial contact of up to €1,500 per job.”
ConnectIreland continues to go from strength-to-strength. There have already been 164 new positions created in Cork through the initiative, which is on target for 1,000 jobs in communities across Ireland. Ireland has clear global appeal, and as the midway point between Europe and America is perfectly positioned to attract expanding companies.
“We are delighted to support ConnectIreland in creating jobs and driving economic growth back to the region. Cork Airport is very important in terms of connectivity for the business and the multi-national sectors in the region, and has a vital role to play in facilitating and developing inbound job creation in the region,” Gackowska concluded.
