Aer Lingus ends flight route after 25 years!

After many years of operating the service, Aer Lingus is cutting all of its flights between Cork and Amsterdam. However, Aer Lingus promises Cork flyers that the airline is still committed to their travelling needs.

A quarter of a century coming to an end.

Since 1998, Aer Lingus has been operating flights between Cork Airport (ORK) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS). It is one of the longest-operating flight routes out of Cork. In recent years, Aer Lingus has been offering one or two flights a week between the two cities.

Recently, Aer Lingus and Cork Airport announced that the airline will cease the service between Cork and Amsterdam. From 17 March 2025, Saint Patrick’s Day, the route will be discontinued. In a statement, Cork Airport commented on its history with the airline and what this announcement means for those flying out of the airport:

“We would like to thank Aer Lingus for their 26 years of continual service on this route. Meanwhile, direct connectivity with Amsterdam Schiphol will be maintained with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines offering twice-daily services to Amsterdam, with the ability to connect onwards to over 150 destinations.”

Cork flyers will not be left in the dust.

The route to Amsterdam is the third busiest route out of Cork. After the pandemic, the number of passengers between the two cities has been growing. In 2019, there were roughly just under 160,000 flyers who took the route. For 2022 that number jumped to 169,000 flyers. Then, in 2023, the number jumped again, this time to 208,000 flyers.

Despite these numbers, Aer Lingus stands behind its decision to cancel the route.

In a statement, the airline commented:

“This decision was made after a thorough review of our route network and in response to changing travel demands. Aer Lingus remains deeply committed to Cork and our valued customers in the south of Ireland.”

Currently, Aer Lingus offers year-round services from Cork to six other cities: London-Heathrow, Malaga, Lanzarote, Tenerife, Bristol and Glasgow. Its seasonal services offer flights to cities such as Bilbao, Lyon, Munich, Faro, Bordeaux, Dubrovnik and Mallorca. Bilbao and Bordeaux are new routes, which the airline states is its way of keeping the commitment mentioned in its statement.

Compared to Dublin, the options of locations for year-round services from Cork are much smaller. However, they connect Cork passengers to locations that give them a wide variety of choices when it comes to connecting flights around Europe.

Overall, as much as it is a disappointment for Aer Lingus flyers out of Cork to lose such a long-standing service, there is the silver lining that they still have multiple options. Hopefully, Aer Lingus will keep to its word and continue to introduce new routes to keep the commitment made to its Cork customers.

What are your thoughts on Aer Lingus ending this service? Do you think they’re making the right choice? Let us know in the comments or on social media.