A new twice-daily Aer Arann service from Cork Airport to Birmingham went into operation yesterday.
The company also announced a further strengthening of its presence in the region with the addition of a daily service from Cork to Bristol from July 1st.
The Bristol service will be combined with a service to Southampton, bringing the total number of Aer Arann departures from Cork city to nine a day.
Mr Padraig O'Ceidigh, managing director of Aer Arann Express, said the airline was committed to the constant development of its services in the region.
"We want to provide the best access to business and leisure interests in the regions of Ireland.
"Without the support of the business and leisure communities in the Cork region, these developments would not be possible."
Cork Airport's manager, Mr Joe O'Connor, said the creation of new services indicated a vote of confidence in the region.
Aer Arann Express is one of the fastest-growing regional airlines in Europe with a turnover in excess of €25 million and projected passenger numbers of 360,000 in 2002.
The airline currently offers 212 scheduled services per week to and from Dublin, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Knock, Sligo and Shannon.