The South of Ireland and the South of France have become even closer this May Bank Holiday weekend as Aer Lingus EI824 departed Cork Airport for Nice Côte d’Azur Airport shortly after 06:30 this morning. To mark the occasion of the new service, a special celebration was held at the boarding gate where passengers travelling on the first flight were treated to French-style breakfast pastries and individual gifts from Aer Lingus.
Known as the jewel of the Côte d’Azur, visitors to Nice can stroll along the famous Promenade des Anglais, the iconic stretch of seafront lined with palm trees and overlooking the clear, blue waters of the Baie des Anges. The colourful, winding, narrow streets and alleyways of the old town (Vieux Nice) are a big attraction for visitors, while art lovers can visit the Marc Chagall National Museum and the Matisse Museum, celebrating two of France’s most iconic artists.
Summer in Nice offers attractive temperatures, ranging from 20°C - 27°C and visitors can sample local delicacies like socca (a golden, crisp pancake made from chickpea flour), pissaladière (a savoury tart topped with caramelised onions and anchovies), tourte de blettes (a pie filled with chard, raisins, and pine nuts) or the world-famous salade niçoise.
Flying into Nice, visitors can opt to travel a little further along the Côte d’Azur to the cities of Cannes, Antibes, the pretty towns of Saint Tropez and Villefranche-sur-Mer, or even venture on a day trip to the principality of Monaco. Other spectacular destinations in the wider Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region include the unique landscapes of the Verdon Gorge canyon, the pristine beaches of La Lavandou or fields of lavender as far as the eye can see at Valensole Plateau.
The new Nice route is the first of two new Aer Lingus routes from Cork Airport this summer, with a new twice-weekly service to Santiago de Compostela in Spain starting next month. It is the fifth new route added by Aer Lingus over the past twelve months.
The new service has also been hailed as a great boost for inbound tourism. France is Ireland’s fourth-largest key source market for inbound visitors and according to Tourism Ireland research, a significant proportion of those originate from the south-east region of France. Research also shows that outside of Dublin, the South-West region of Ireland is most popular with French visitors. French visitors spend an average of 8.9 nights on the island of Ireland and almost 9 out of 10 visited historical or culture sites whilst here. As the only international airport serving both the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Ancient East, Cork Airport is perfectly located for visitors seeking to experience either of these parts of Ireland.
Speaking on the occasion of the first Aer Lingus Cork – Nice flight this summer, Head of Aviation Business Development & Communications at Cork Airport, Tara Finn said: “Nice has been consistently requested by our passenger base as a new route from Cork Airport, and we are delighted that Aer Lingus have responded to the demand with new summer service, which is very welcome.”
Expressing her delight on the new Cork - Nice service, Ambassador of France to Ireland, H.E. Céline Place said: “I am delighted to see the opening of the new direct flight between Cork and Nice. It is one of many direct flights between several French and Irish cities, so traveling to Ireland’s closest Neighbour in the EU has never been easier! Nice, as well the surrounding region, has long been a popular choice for Irish holidaymakers but I am sure new links such as this one will drive its popularity further. Kudos to everyone in Cork Airport and Aer Lingus for making this happen.”
Susanne Carberry, Chief Customer Officer at Aer Lingus, added: “Our new Cork-Nice service offers customers flying from Cork Airport a direct connection to one of the most popular destinations on the Côte d’Azur. Nice is a popular choice for both short breaks and longer holidays, and this Aer Lingus route provides greater choice and convenience for leisure travellers this summer. France remains an important market for inbound visitors to Ireland, and this service will make it even easier for French visitors to explore everything the region has to offer.”
Seamus Heaney, Head of Visit Cork acknowledged the benefits for inbound tourism by saying: “The importance of international air connectivity is key to what we do. The South-East region of France, and France more generally, are critically important source markets for inbound tourism and Visit Cork warmly welcomes the start of this new service between Nice and Cork. Thank you to Cork Airport and Aer Lingus. Visit Cork, along with our international tourism partners, will continue to support the promotion of this service.”