Pat Dawson: Norwegian flight cancellation bad news for Cork 

The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has said it is disappointing that Norwegian Air is cancelling its transatlantic flights out of Cork Airport.

The Norwegian Air route from Cork to Rhode Island was the airport's first transatlantic flight and has been in place since 2017.

The airline said the route, and others out of Shannon and Dublin, are no longer commercially viable after their Boeing 737 Max aircraft were grounded. 

Pat Dawson, the owner of Dawson Travel and CEO of the ITAA, said the move by the Norwegian budget airline will affect Cork negatively. 

"Norwegian Air has been an important part of building passenger numbers through Cork and Shannon and we would like to see continued growth in our regional airports," he said. "While there is plenty of choice in airline routes flying from Dublin, customers will suffer when it comes to competitiveness following the loss of Norwegian’s transatlantic routes." 

Former Lord Mayor Mick Finn called on senior politicians from Cork to stand up for Cork and its airport.

“It’s very disappointing, if a bit predictable, that Cork has lost out again in terms of its fledgeling transatlantic service,” Mr Finn said.

“That will put pressure on Cork’s emergence as Ireland’s fastest-growing airport, and ultimately threaten the city and county’s status as a counterbalance to Dublin.

“We need our senior minister and TDs here to stand up for Cork and ensure that our airport is not further constrained by a lack of vision by those at national level who should really be protecting it.”