New Aer Lingus Service From Cork To Bilbao Takes Off
Apr 17, 2025
New Aer Lingus Service From Cork To Bilbao Takes Off
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New Aer Lingus service will fly three-times weekly to the largest city in the Basque Country.
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The Bilbao service is the first scheduled connection to northern Spain, providing direct access to Bilbao city, San Sebastián, La Rioja, the Navarra region and Pamplona.
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New service is an ideal connection for walkers completing the Camino de Santiago.
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Bilbao is the first of two new Aer Lingus routes to commence this summer, with a new route to Bordeaux starting next month.
Cork Airport — April 16, 2025 — World famous architecture, idyllic seaside towns, renowned cuisine and Spain’s premier wine region are all now within a two-hour direct flight from Cork as Aer Lingus’ new service to Bilbao took off today for the first time. The new service departed Cork Airport at 12:30 with a full complement of passengers. It is the first scheduled connection with the north of Spain and Basque Country, and will provide access to the city of Bilbao, San Sebastián, La Rioja region, the Navarra Pyrenees region and Pamplona.
Stretching to over 20,000 square kilometres, the Basque region is famous for its amazing scenery, picturesque coastline and gastronomy. Bilbao city, once known being an industrial powerhouse of northern Spain, has transformed over recent decades to become a cultural hub, with the centrepiece being the famous Guggenheim Museum. A little over an hour away is the city of San Sebastián, a beautiful seaside resort known for its expansive sandy beaches like La Concha, quaint old town architecture and its own Basque-style take on tapas, known as “pintxos”. Bilbao is also a popular gateway for pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago, with two of the more popular Camino routes – Camino del Norte and Camino Frances – both meandering through the wider region.
Situated to the south of Bilbao is the La Rioja region, one of Spain’s best-known winegrowing regions, home to over 500 wineries, while the historic city of Pamplona, is just under two hours’ drive from Bilbao Airport.
The new service to Bilbao is one of two new Aer Lingus routes taking off from Cork Airport for the busy Summer 2025 season, with direct flights to Bordeaux also commencing on 15th May. Both the Bilbao and Bordeaux routes are also expected to provide a welcome boost for inbound tourism. Tourism Ireland market research shows that France and Spain are the fourth and fifth largest source markets for inbound tourism, with prospective visitors in both markets showing an interest in travelling to Ireland to experience built heritage, take in the idyllic views and landscapes and to enjoy local food and drink.
