Aer Lingus announces three new ‘coolcation' flights from Dublin and Cork airports
Flights from Dublin Airport to Turin will operate weekly from December 21 to March 29, offering access to the ski resorts of Italy's Piedmont region. These include Via Lattea (The Milky Way), Pila in the Aosta Valley and Bardonecchia.
From Cork, flights to Geneva will operate once weekly from December 20 to March 28. A popular city break, the Swiss destination also links skiers with resorts like Morzine and Chamonix-Mont-Blanc.
The Prague service will run from October 23 to March 26, with two flights a week on Thursdays and Sundays from Cork.
Cork Airport said Aer Lingus also plans to increase the frequency of its Lyon route to a twice-weekly service, operating from December 20 to March 28.
It follows news that KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will add a third-daily service from Cork to Amsterdam Schiphol over certain periods this winter.
"Winter breaks or 'coolcations' are growing in popularity among Irish consumers,' noted Susanne Carberry, chief customer officer at Aer Lingus.
The announcements follow another new Aer Lingus route announcement, from Dublin Airport to Cancun in Mexico. It will operate for four months from January 6.
The airline is currently at the peak of its busy summer schedule, and has been advising customers to drop off bags the evening before they fly at both airports following 'an exceptionally busy" period for the airline at Dublin.
The seasonal service allows customers booked on early flights (between 5.30am and 8am) to drop off their bags at certain times the evening before travel.
Last month was the busiest ever June for passenger numbers at both Dublin and Cork, and Aer Lingus saw a 10pc rise in the number of its customers checking in for early-morning departures compared to the same period last year.
Cork Airport recently launched a €200 million capital development programme to enable it to cater for over five million passengers in years to come.
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