Angela Walsh Appointed Chair of Cork Airport Development Council as Expansion Gathers Pace

FROSCH Ireland CEO Angela Walsh has been appointed Chair of Cork Airport Development Council, the stakeholder representative body for the airport.

Ms Walsh - also a former Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) President - enters the role as work advances on daa's €200m multi-year capital development expansion plan for the airport.

Ms Walsh brings extensive travel and corporate relocation experience to the body.

She is also the first woman to chair the Development Council since it was established in 2013. A Cork native, Ms Walsh is founder and CEO of FROSCH Ireland, CEO of The Relocations Company (TRC), and a former President of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA). Her appointment brings the perspective of someone who has built businesses in the region and works closely with companies whose staff, clients and families depend on connections to and from Cork.

She succeeds Gerry Walsh, who steps down as Chair following many years of service to the Cork Airport Development Council. Gerry, a former non-executive director of daa, will remain a member of the Council for a final year.

The appointment comes as Cork Airport moves ahead with its most significant capital development plan in a quarter of a century. daa’s planned €200 million investment is intended to equip the airport for growth beyond five million passengers a year. Work is already well underway on a new mezzanine that will accommodate an expanded passenger security area. The wider development programme includes additional boarding gates, new aircraft stands, a new pier and what will be Ireland's largest solar carport.

Angela Walsh said: “Cork is thinking bigger, and the investment now taking shape with the support of daa Group at the airport reflects that. For businesses deciding where to grow, for people moving here to work, and for families who want to travel from their home region, good connections make a real difference.

“I built my business in Cork, so I know how important it is that the airport grows with the region it serves. I’m delighted to take on the role of Chair and to work with fellow stakeholders across the region, the airport team and the daa Board of Directors on the airport’s next chapter of growth.

“Gerry Walsh has been a tireless advocate for Cork Airport. His commitment to the airport over the past 18 years has been extraordinary, and I’m very pleased we’ll continue to have his experience on the Council.”

Ms Walsh founded CTM Travel in 2000 and led its growth before the business merged with FROSCH in 2018. FROSCH Ireland now has teams in Cork, Shannon, Tralee, Tuam and Dublin. She also launched TRC in 2010 to support companies relocating employees.

She served as President of the ITAA in 2023 and 2024 and has been a member of its board since 2013. She also sits on the board of the Munster Agricultural Society. Her appointment adds to her longstanding involvement in the travel industry and the wider Cork business community.

The Cork Airport Development Council was established in 2013 by then Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar TD, following international airport best practice, to formalise the role of regional stakeholders in their engagement with Cork Airport management and the daa Board.

Since then, the Council has played an important role in supporting the airport through the challenges of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent recovery, while helping to shape its long-term development.