I propose to take Questions Nos. 2160 to 2163, inclusive, together.
I did receive an email recently from a member of the business community in Cork in relation to a lack of direct flights from Cork to Brussels, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
Cork Airport announced its summer schedule for 2018 in March, which includes almost two million seats to over 40 destinations, including a number of new destinations. Cork Airport's website details all direct destinations from the airport, both year round and seasonal services. In the cases of Germany, Italy and Switzerland the website lists a number of seasonal routes that are operating to those countries at present.
There has been a 3.5% growth in passenger numbers at Cork for the first half of this year, which follows 3.5% growth last year and over 7% in the previous year.
National aviation policy facilitates and encourages increased connectivity and routes at all of our airports. However, the decision to operate any particular service is ultimately a commercial decision for the airlines.