[Article] Kerry airport calls for transatlantic flight role

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/3231020?view=Eircomnet

Kerry airport calls for transatlantic flight role
From:ireland.com
Thursday, 20th May, 2004

Valuable transatlantic traffic should not just be confined to Shannon airport in future, local authority and aviation interests said yesterday.

Kerry airport, announcing its 2003 results, said it had held talks with charter operators about running services to Farranfore in the summer of 2005 from the east coast of America.

Mr Basil Sheerin, the airport's financial controller, said the talks were originally about flights in 2004 but "time was against both sides".

However, he said services from Providence, Rhode Island in 2005 were possible.

He said flights involving a Boeing 757 were mentioned in discussions.

The name of the charter operator was not disclosed.

Kerry airport saw a large increase in passenger traffic last year, mainly due to the Ryanair decision to transfer the Frankfurt Hahn service from Shannon to Kerry.

Passenger numbers grew to almost 300,000 last year, a 70 per cent increase.

The airport is urgently in need of "improved passenger transfer facilities". The luggage and departures area are far too small for the kind of traffic the Kerry facility enjoys, said spokesman Mr Peter Bellew.

The Department of Transport had turned down a request for funding for the terminal buildings early last year. However, the airport was still confident of funding.

"Anything we have done to date is within budget and on time and the State would therefore be well-disposed to us," he said.

Meanwhile, the South West Regional Authority (SWRA), which oversees the Cork and Kerry region, yesterday called for the commencement of scheduled daily transatlantic services from Cork airport.

Flukey

One of the great arguments of the Shannon-stopover lobby is how it benefits the whole South and West of Ireland, (though how someone sitting on a plane in Shannon Airport is benefitting, say a shop in Clifden is beyond me). So surely lifting the stopover and allowing trans-Atlantic flights into Cork, Knock and any other airport in the region capable of taking the traffic, would benefit the region even more. So if Faranfore or Galway or wherever are able to take jumbo jets, then why not?

RicardoSmith

There are what 5 or 6 airports on the west coast but only one on the east. I think we should start a campaign to have another airport on the east coast.

Flukey

Well there are a few more than Dublin Airport, albeit small ones. Belfast is on the east side of the country and Waterford Airport is too. Baldonnell is capable of taking large aircraft too and could be upgraded to be Dublin's second international airport if we were going to have one. I am a Dub, but I think we need to up the infrastructure on the west side of the country to encourage more people and business to settle there and take the pressure off Dublin. That would be good for all concerned.

Victor

Originally posted by RicardoSmith
There are what 5 or 6 airports on the west coast but only one on the east. I think we should start a campaign to have another airport on the east coast.

Where? Why?

Originally posted by Flukey
Baldonnell is capable of taking large aircraft too and could be upgraded to be Dublin's second international airport if we were going to have one.

It doesn't need one. Modern airports can handle 50-60m people per year. Dublin is somewhere about 15m.

secret_squirrel

Disregarding the terminal facilities for a mo.

Is the runway big enough for transatlantics or is it just wishful thinking?

Victor

Originally posted by secret_squirrel
Is the runway big enough for transatlantics or is it just wishful thinking?

I'm not sure, but I think Kerry would be marginal, but might be able to take medium/large sized aircraft, but not Jumbo sized aircraft.

Flukey

Victor, I agree with you. Dublin doesn't need a second international airport. What I was saying is if the day ever comes when we do, Baldonnell would be the best location. I don't see that day coming. There is plenty of scope to first expand the airport we have, before looking at a second one.

secret_squirrel

To my way of thinking its pretty irelevant whether any airport outside of dublin should host transatlantics since there is no decent road infrastructure to move the tourists around. Until such time as the major Irish cities are linked by decent motorways 90% of tourists are going to have to come in via dublin since the majority of them will want to visit it as part of thier holliers anyway...

RicardoSmith

What has Belfast got to do with anything. Thats not in the Republic. Baldonnell isn't a civilian airport, so whats that got to do with it either. Waterford is in the south not the east. Just look at the map.

http://www.travelireland.org/irish-airports/airports_in_ireland.html

You have Shannon, Cork, Kerry, Galway, Sligo, Donegal and Knock all completing against each other for what? A third at best of the population. The other two thirds of the population all use one airport Dublin. In fact since most of the major routes are in Dublin its likely that something nearer to 70-80% of people use Dublin. Sure Dublin Airport can handle more traffic but the infrastructure around it, the M1 and M50 for example can't. Those roads are car parks during peak time.

Theres enough airports in the west. If they need funding, then if all this extra traffic is there, why can't that fund it. Why does it need funding from the govt? All these regionals are surviving on the handouts of the govt, or by keeping uneconomical Aer Lingus routes and stopovers.

I say theres enough regional airports. Build another one in the east, or the middlands where there isn't any. And for petes sake build a rail link to it.

Slice

What has Belfast got to do with anything. Thats not in the Republic.

I use to use Belfast Airport sometimes when I lived in Louth.

Maybe Dublin should have a second airport - what was the reason used to justify having more than one airport in other cities such as London? A second terminal at Dublin airport would put even greater strain on the overcrowded infrastructure on the northside of the city, if we can't sort the infrastructure out there then we can hardly make it worse by building a bigger airport.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Slice
I use to use Belfast Airport sometimes when I lived in Louth.

Maybe Dublin should have a second airport - what was the reason used to justify having more than one airport in other cities such as London? A second terminal at Dublin airport would put even greater strain on the overcrowded infrastructure on the northside of the city, if we can't sort the infrastructure out there then we can hardly make it worse by building a bigger airport.

Thats lovely, but your govt and the taxpayers are not being asked to fund Belfast Airport are they?

A second terminal? We need a second airport on the east not a second terminal.

dmeehan

I have heard locally in Killarney that Kerry airport has taken a jumbo before.

Ryanair wanted to use baldonnel as a secondary aiport for dublin but the runway isnt deep enough

Pataman

Originally posted by dmeehan
I have heard locally in Killarney that Kerry airport has taken a jumbo before.

Ryanair wanted to use baldonnel as a secondary aiport for dublin but the runway isnt deep enough

What do you mean? they are landing planes not planting seeds

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Pataman
What do you mean? they are landing planes not planting seeds

Have you seen Ryanair land? Boiiing!

Victor

Originally posted by Pataman
What do you mean? they are landing planes not planting seeds

The thicker the runway, the greater the pressure / weight it can take.

Slice

Thats lovely, but your govt and the taxpayers are not being asked to fund Belfast Airport are they?
Well maybe not Belfast airport but Derry Airport received substantial funding from the Irish Government

Dub13

Derry Airport ....does I did not know that,do they get much....?

Victor

Well, it's more by way of public service subsidy to the airline(s) flying from there to Dublin.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Victor
Well, it's more by way of public service subsidy to the airline(s) flying from there to Dublin.

So Derry airport itself doesn't.

Anyway its of no use to the majority of people on the East coast is it?