Aer Lingus launches new flight route from Ireland to Spain

Irish airline Aer Lingus this week launched a new route connecting Cork with Bilbao, the largest city in the Basque Country region of northern Spain.

The service will fly three times per week, according to information from Cork Airport. It is a two hour direct flight into Bilbao, also providing easy access to other nearby cities across the region and northern Spain.

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According to a press release from the airport: "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."

Aer Lingus has also emphasised that the "new service is an ideal connection for walkers completing the Camino de Santiago."

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This week at the inaugural Cork-Bilbao service run by Aer Lingus, Cork Airport's Head of Aviation Business Development & Communications Tara Finn stated that “Bilbao is our first connection with northern Spain and the Basque region, and it’s fantastic to see a full flight departing on this inaugural Aer Lingus service today.

There is so much to see and do in the wider Basque region, from the culture and arts scene in Bilbao, the stunning coastal city of San Sebastian, sampling some local “pintxos” or venturing into the heart of the vineyards of the La Rioja region.”

The Bilbao route is one of two new Aer Lingus routes from Cork ahead of the summer, with direct flights to Bordeaux also beginning from May 15th.

Aer Lingus hopes that the new routes will also help bolster tourism going the other way, to Ireland.

"Both the Bilbao and Bordeaux routes are also expected to provide a welcome boost for inbound tourism," a statement from Cork Airport said. "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."