Ryanair commences new summer route from Cork Airport 

Brussels bound travellers from Cork will be able to avail of direct flights from the city’s airport to the Belgian capital as part of Ryanair’s schedule for summer.

The first flight on the new route to Brussels Charleroi is taking off from Cork today and the airline will be operating three flights a week, on a Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, to the destination as part of its summer schedule.

Brussels is one of three new routes being offered by Ryanair from Cork for the summer schedule with the other two being Rhodes and Zadar. These will commence in June.

Head of Communications at Ryanair, Jade Kirwan, said the airline was delighted to launch its first flight from Cork to Brussels this week.

“This exciting new city route will operate three times per week from today, March 31, offering our customers in Munster and South-Leinster even more choice at the lowest fares,” said Ms. Kirwan.

“This summer Ryanair will operate 33 routes to/from Cork Airport, including both today’s new Brussels route and our sunny new connections to Rhodes and Zadar.”

Figures from Tourism Ireland show that over 380,000 visitors from Belgium and The Netherlands visited Ireland in 2019. 

A spokesperson for Cork Airport said that together with daily services from Amsterdam, the new route from Brussels Charleroi will offer direct air access for Belgian holidaymakers when visiting Ireland, providing an opportunity to explore all that Cork and the South of Ireland has to offer.

In welcoming the commencement of the new route between Cork and Brussels Charleroi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Ireland, H.E. Karen Van Vlierberge said: “Belgium and Ireland share ties going back to the 7th century. Today, thanks to the additional Ryanair flights connecting our two countries, these ties are closer than ever. I am grateful to Cork Airport for adding three weekly flights to Brussels South to their schedule, and I believe that this service will encourage even more Irish and Belgian citizens to discover each other’s countries, as well as strengthen already blossoming business relationships.” 

Head of Visit Cork, Seamus Heaney added: “The start of the new Ryanair service between Brussels Charleroi and Cork is very welcome and will undoubtedly make Cork a more attractive destination for business and leisure tourism. Access from the wider Benelux region is key and our research shows that consumers in this market have a strong affinity and appetite for holidaying in Ireland. Visit Cork will continue to work closely with Cork Airport and our tourism partners in promoting this service and all that Cork city and county has to offer.”