Passenger numbers at Cork Airport are set to hit 2.75 million this year, making 2023 its busiest year yet.
Last month, 191,000 passengers travelled through the airport, up 14% on November 2022.
The latest figures from daa, which operates both Cork and Dublin airports show that almost 2.2 million passengers passed through the doors of Dublin Airport last month, up 4% on the same month last year.
A further 102,000 transfer and transit passengers used Dublin Airport during the month.
The data reveals that the busiest day of travel at the two airports in November was Sunday, November 5, the final day of the mid-term school holidays.
Almost 98,000 passengers passed through Dublin Airport on that day, and almost 10,000 passengers flew to and from Cork Airport.
According to daa, 95% of passengers at Dublin Airport passed through security screening in under 15 minutes in November, with 99% going through in less than 20 minutes.
At Cork airport, 97% cleared security in less than 15 minutes, and 99% in less than 20 minutes.
Daa said carbon per passenger at Dublin Airport was 0.84kg in November, down 4% on the 2022 performance. It said this data relates to the airport’s scope 1 and 2 emissions and is a rolling annual average carbon figure.
Kenny Jacobs, daa's CEO said December will be a busy month for the two airports.
"Mid-December will also see a new Infrastructure Application submitted to Fingal County Council which would enable Dublin Airport to grow beyond the current 32 million passenger cap," he said.
"As it stands, that application is likely to take at least two years to be approved, which will result in stalled growth at Dublin Airport in both 2024 and 2025," he added.
Mr Jacobs said the new planning application will look for an increase in the passenger cap and also permission to build more modern and sustainable infrastructure - which he said is needed to reduce Dublin Airport’s scope 2 emissions and meet its target of being net zero for carbon by 2050.
"Independent analysis has found that keeping the current 32 million cap would lead to Ireland forgoing an additional 17,800 jobs and €1.5 billion in GVA by 2030," he said.
"By 2055, the number of jobs lost to Ireland would be 53,300 - the equivalent to the population of Waterford - while €4.4 billion would be lost in GVA to the Irish economy. We simply need to build for Irelands future population and economic growth," he added.
Mr Jacobs said daa will continue to have discussions with airlines about their schedules for next spring, summer and beyond to ensure that passenger numbers for 2024 will remain below the 32 million level.
"Until planning permission to grow beyond 32 million passengers is granted, daa will continue to manage the passenger capacity to ensure that current planning restrictions are not breached," he added.
