Galway Airport - mega merge

Storm 10

Before Aer Arann pulled the plug they were averaging 50k passengers per month, I had those figures but I cant locate them at present, how come Sligo and Waterford are still open they have rail and Motorway links, I just cant understand why people are so against what was a wonderful Airport for flights, it was so easy to go out and hop on a plane and go. As for company aircraft that were coming in a 5 minute car ride from the Airport to their HQ in Galway is far easier than landing in Shannon or elsewhere.

fergiesfolly

There can't be a more redundant argument on the internet than one where you're making a case for an airport in Galway.
It's dead. And the sooner it's buried the better.

joeKel73

Storm 10 wrote: »

Before Aer Arann pulled the plug they were averaging 50k passengers per month, I had those figures but I cant locate them at present

Hmnn from your post on a thread last year....

Storm 10 wrote: »

[...]Just look at the passenger numbers before it closed, there is no reason why they could not be got back as the City is now larger

Year Passengers

2001 90,000
2002 106,000
2003 138,000
2004 230,106
2005 252,897
2006 248,972
2007 309,302
2008 266,897
2009 194,158
2010 154,814
2011 67,002

Converted into average monthly figures...
2001 7,500
2002 8,833
2003 11,500
2004 19,175
2005 21,075
2006 20,748
2007 25,775
2008 22,241
2009 16,180
2010 12,901
2011 5,583

So the numbers were around half that at their peak in 2007. The numbers also surge in line with an unsustainable economic boom over those years, when people/companies were throwing money around a lot more loosely than they are now.

Storm 10

Storm 10 wrote: »

Before Aer Arann pulled the plug they were averaging 50k passengers per month, I had those figures but I cant locate them at present, how come Sligo and Waterford are still open they have rail and Motorway links, I just cant understand why people are so against what was a wonderful Airport for flights, it was so easy to go out and hop on a plane and go. As for company aircraft that were coming in a 5 minute car ride from the Airport to their HQ in Galway is far easier than landing in Shannon or elsewhere.

Sligo and Waterford suffered the same fate as Galway and have no scheduled flights.

Storm 10

Deleted User wrote: »

Sligo and Waterford suffered the same fate as Galway and have no scheduled flights.

But they are still open which is the important thing

irishgrover

Storm 10 wrote: »

When Galway was open the UK flights were the main market for them, these are the routes Stobart/Aer Lingus currently operate and would be the most attractive routes for Galway, you do realise that you could fly from Galway to Spain and France during their Summer schedules when the Airport was open , negativity will never get it open again .

respectfully it's not negativity, it's economic reality. As I've mentioned before, I was a very regular user of the airport. 50+ flights a year, often much more. It was wonderful. But it was only wonderful in the context of lack of easy connectivity in relation of other airports. That context is no longer there because I can get to SNN in 45 minutes and DUB in 1:45 and even Knock.
If Galway airport opened in the morning with the same schedules it did at it's height (10 years ago), I still would not use it.

• It will not get me to Dublin faster than the motorway.
• It will not get me to an international Hub (except of Dublin)
• It will not get me to Spain or France cheaper or in more comfort or faster than if I traveled to another airport.

There is just no use case for it.

I do not want it re-opened becuase it would require significant public fund investment. There would be no return on this investment. It would effectively be a waste of money.

Storm 10

I do not want it re-opened becuase it would require significant public fund investment. There would be no return on this investment. It would effectively be a waste of money.

Let me remind you in case you are not aware that Galway Chamber looked for 100k from the then Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar to remain open, he turned it down and he also blocked EU funding for Galway, then he went and gave Waterford Airport 400k to remain open and last year they were given a further 300k and they have no scheduled flights. Now how could this happen !! he completely supports them and blocks Galway.

https://flyinginireland.com/2017/12/emergency-funding-approved-to-save-waterford-airport/

Galway as the third largest City in Ireland should have this important facility re-opened

Storm 10

Storm 10 wrote: »

Let me remind you in case you are not aware that Galway Chamber looked for 100k from the then Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar to remain open, he turned it down and he also blocked EU funding for Galway, then he went and gave Waterford Airport 400k to remain open and last year they were given a further 300k and they have no scheduled flights. Now how could this happen !! he completely supports them and blocks Galway.

https://flyinginireland.com/2017/12/emergency-funding-approved-to-save-waterford-airport/

Has no bearing on the viability of Galway

Galway as the third largest City in Ireland should have this important facility re-opened

Galway has easy access to 2 international airports within 60 mins. It has all the facilities it needs

irishgrover

Storm 10 wrote: »

Let me remind you in case you are not aware that Galway Chamber looked for 100k from the then Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar to remain open, he turned it down and he also blocked EU funding for Galway, then he went and gave Waterford Airport 400k to remain open and last year they were given a further 300k and they have no scheduled flights. Now how could this happen !! he completely supports them and blocks Galway.

https://flyinginireland.com/2017/12/emergency-funding-approved-to-save-waterford-airport/

Galway as the third largest City in Ireland should have this important facility re-opened

I'm not familiar with the viability of waterford (with the exception of the fact that it is used as an opperational base for a critical coastguard heli service)

However notwithstanding, all other things being equal (which they clearly are not, but to give you the benefit).......the government wasting money in one part of the country is not justification for wasting money in another part of the country.

notharrypotter

Storm 10 wrote: »

Galway as the third largest City in Ireland should have this important facility re-opened

Cities of Ireland in descending size order.
Dublin
Cork
Limerick
Galway

Johnny901

Storm 10 wrote: »

Before Aer Arann pulled the plug they were averaging 50k passengers per month, I had those figures but I cant locate them at present, how come Sligo and Waterford are still open they have rail and Motorway links, I just cant understand why people are so against what was a wonderful Airport for flights, it was so easy to go out and hop on a plane and go. As for company aircraft that were coming in a 5 minute car ride from the Airport to their HQ in Galway is far easier than landing in Shannon or elsewhere.

Sligo and Waterford are open purely because they have a SAR base providing cash to keep them open.

Corporate aircraft on their own would not provide enough revenue for the airport to keep it open.

The aircraft that flew from Galway to Spain and France (Bae 146) operated at a loss and didn't last very long.

Galway is just too close to Shannon and Knock.

tototoe

Galway is the fourth largest city in Ireland. It has. 2 more than decent airports south and north of it, motorway to one and motorway to dublin. There is no need at all for another airport on the west coast.

Mearings

Why did Galway not have an established international airport long before Knock got off the ground?

Mearings

Mearings wrote: »

Why did Galway not have an established international airport long before Knock got off the ground?

There were no apparitions in Galway

Mearings

Deleted User wrote: »

There were no apparitions in Galway

Probably not remote enough.

Laviski

Galway airport would never be operate as it once was.
but it can be a very successful if market correctly for GA market.,

serfboard

Galway Airport - a zombie idea, resurrected from time to time on this thread.

Wikipedia wrote:

A zombie idea is an idea that, after thorough analysis and long experience, can be regarded as nonsense and should therefore be dead - but still pops up again

Once the motorways were built the PSOs went - and with them went Galway (and Sligo and Waterford) airports.

They are never coming back.

Storm 10

serfboard wrote: »

Galway Airport - a zombie idea, resurrected from time to time on this thread.


Once the motorways were built the PSOs went - and with them went Galway (and Sligo and Waterford) airports.

They are never coming back.

Sligo and Waterford are still open for GA Aviation, Galway could operate like that and provide refuelling and possibly aircraft maintenance.

Robbo

serfboard wrote: »

Galway Airport - a zombie idea, resurrected from time to time on this thread.


Once the motorways were built the PSOs went - and with them went Galway (and Sligo and Waterford) airports.

They are never coming back.

Surely we can combine two of the greatest Galway zombie ideas and have a suspiciously-cheap-to-build tram system connecting Carnmore with Dublin Airport and beyond?

donalod1965

i live in ennis but id use galway if it was opened

flazio

donalod1965 wrote: »

i live in ennis but id use galway if it was opened

Bad experience in Shannon?

serfboard

donalod1965 wrote: »

i live in ennis but id use galway if it was opened

Good for you - but you still currently have the options of Knock, Cork and Dublin if you hate Shannon that much.

More delusions on the airport, this time from the religious quarter

Galway Airport - Why are we wasting this great facility, asks former archdeacon

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/102166/galway-airport-why-are-we-wasting-this-great-facility-asks-former-archdeacon

Ludikrus

[Deleted User] wrote: »

More delusions on the airport, this time from the religious quarter

Galway Airport - Why are we wasting this great facility, asks former archdeacon

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/102166/galway-airport-why-are-we-wasting-this-great-facility-asks-former-archdeacon

Sounds like Horan from knock. Airports give them ‘the excitement’.

I wouldn't exactly say it's GONE gone. It's gone as far as current aviation technology is concerned, but who's to say that won't change? Embraer & Bombardier do interesting things with lighter jets that can make their way into Galway. At the end of the day, if the numbers fit, then they'll make sense enough to open up again.

In the meantime, the space is there for a Parkmore feeder park-and-ride, and putting in a bus lane into Parkmore from there would open the place up. Get some utility from the place I think, until the decision is made whether to demolish or not. If we knock it, we knock it. If we're not knocking it, let's use it.

Storm 10

Storm 10 wrote: »

But they are still open which is the important thing

Important to who? I imagine to most of the populations of Galway, Waterford or Sligo the respective airports being open or closed is academic if there are no scheduled flights.

Storm 10 wrote: »

Sligo and Waterford are still open for GA Aviation, Galway could operate like that and provide refuelling and possibly aircraft maintenance.

Again who is making the case for this?
Is there any company actually willing to sign contracts to vet it reopened?

Deleted User wrote: »

I wouldn't exactly say it's GONE gone. It's gone as far as current aviation technology is concerned, but who's to say that won't change? Embraer & Bombardier do interesting things with lighter jets that can make their way into Galway. At the end of the day, if the numbers fit, then they'll make sense enough to open up again.

In the meantime, the space is there for a Parkmore feeder park-and-ride, and putting in a bus lane into Parkmore from there would open the place up. Get some utility from the place I think, until the decision is made whether to demolish or not. If we knock it, we knock it. If we're not knocking it, let's use it.

A third valid option is to do nothing.
Bus lanes would be great and should be part of the Bus Connects plan announced for Dublin - a possible park and ride might work alongside that.

Galway has 2 international airports within 1 hr north and south. There is simply no viable and marketable reason to reopen

Nobody in Galway cares about the airport, thats why it was so easy to close it. Anyone see a single protest in favour of keeping it open? There was a bigger uproar recently with the proposal to remove some bus stops

Psychlops

Deleted User wrote: »

Again who is making the case for this?
Is there any company actually willing to sign contracts to vet it reopened?

https://connachttribune.ie/aviation-giant-considers-galway-aiport-for-helicopter-storage-009/

Psychlops

Psychlops wrote: »

https://connachttribune.ie/aviation-giant-considers-galway-aiport-for-helicopter-storage-009/

That's the type of thing but before money was spent there would have to be commitments from the company rather than comments from a county councillor looking for column inches the the local paper.

Johnny901

Deleted User wrote: »

I wouldn't exactly say it's GONE gone. It's gone as far as current aviation technology is concerned, but who's to say that won't change? Embraer & Bombardier do interesting things with lighter jets that can make their way into Galway. At the end of the day, if the numbers fit, then they'll make sense enough to open up again.

I think the problem will always be that any airline that has prop equipment (or if new tech jets are available) capable of operating out of Galway will need to be able to seriously compete (on price to consumer) with the likes of Ryanair and Aer Lingus operating out of Shannon and Knock, I don't see that happening.