New €160m terminal at Cork airport opens

A new €160 million terminal at Cork airport finally opened today.

The terminal is expected to cater for three million passengers a year.

The 25,000-square-metre building is designed to cater for up to five million passengers a year should passenger numbers increase.

Under construction since 2003, the airport had been due to open late last year but was repeatedly delayed.

However, exactly who is going to pay for the new building is not yet clear. Former minister for transport Séamus Brennan had been keen for the airport to begin operating debt-free, unburdened by the cost of the new terminal.

Minister for Finance Brian Cowen has said who pays for the terminal will be resolved by the end of the month.

There are fears that airport charges at Cork airport may have to rise to meet the cost of the building. These charges are set by the aviation regulator.