Passenger charges at Cork Airport are due to increase by 33 per cent from next year under a plan announced today by Aer Rianta.
The soon-to-be broken-up semi-state airport operator said it wanted charges to rise from an average of €6 per passenger to €8 from January 1st, 2004.
The airlines operating from Cork are being informed of the move today. It follows a move by the airport authority to increase charges at Dublin airport by 9 per cent in January.
These increases - if agreed - will be in addition to an another 20 per cent rise in airport chargessought by Aer Rianta under a review of allowed airport charges by the Aviation Commissioner.
Aer Rianta also said it intends scrapping route incentives and discount schemes from Cork Airport at the end of this year.
According to Mr Joe O'Connor, Cork Airport director, the current airport charge is "extremely low" when compared to similar non-subsidised airports in Europe.
The new charge was required to meet rising security and insurance costs and to finance essential capital projects, he said.
