The old terminal at Cork Airport is to be demolished, with management announcing plans for a 40-acre business park, from which some revenue will be used for marketing initiatives to attract more tourists, writes Sean O'Riordan.

The developments were revealed by the airport’s managing director, Neil McCarthy, at a meeting between his management team and Cork County Council.

Mr McCarthy described the old terminal, built in 1961, as “defunct” and said it would cost €40m to bring it back into service. He said it will be demolished to make way for additional parking spaces for aircraft.

“We have 40 acres of land zoned for commercial development and we will bring that to the market as a business park in the next five to six years,” he said.

The airport intends to purchase another air bridge to add to the two it has.

Meanwhile, the Jack Lynch executive lounge is to be doubled in size and will reopen next February.

The county council’s assistant chief executive, Declan Daly, said the local authority is preparing to upgrade the roundabout on the main road adjacent to the airport to ease congestion. It also plans to make the approaches to the airport look more attractive to visitors.

Mr Daly said there was a need to look at developing a new road to the airport from the Sarsfield Road roundabout, near Bishopstown.

County councillors have also promised to help the airport more with its marketing strategy.

Meantime, Volotea has announced, following its summertime introduction, to double its flights to Verona, near Lake Garda, in northern Italy next year. The airline plans to operate flights on Saturdays and Wednesdays from May 26-August 29.

This story originally appeared in the Irish Examiner.