Airport grounded by debt and a ghost terminal

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

TO add to Michael O’Leary’s comments (December 3) about the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA – or DOH!), is it not absolutely crazy that the authority still retains ownership of its other potential competitors in Cork and Limerick.

Also, the DAA broke its contract with Cork airport which was supposed to leave Cork debt-free after its unnecessary new terminal was built.

Unfortunately, our spineless politicians did nothing about this broken contract. In fact, they supported it.

If I’m not mistaken, Ryanair offered to take the old Cork airport terminal off the DAA’s hands (officially the Cork Airport Authority’s hands, but we know they aren’t in charge). The DAA refused. I wonder why. I think there was some DAA bleating about there being a monopoly if Ryanair took over a whole terminal.

So, what is Cork airport left with? Debt that the DAA forced on it and an empty, perfectly functional terminal that will sit there until it crumbles to dust.

Hats off to the DAA because at least in Cork airport there is no competition, I mean, monopoly. I mean, business. DOH! I mean, DAA.

David Sisk
Árd Keale
Mount Oval Village
Rochestown
Cork

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Tuesday, December 08, 2009