Public consultation launched on future of regional airports

The Minister for Transport has launched a public consultation on the future of Ireland's regional airports.

The paper aims to replace the current Regional Airports Programme (RAP), which has been running since 2015 and finishes this year. RAP’s purpose is to ensure that economically and socially beneficial, but financially unviable, air connectivity can be provided to the country’s more isolated regions.

Transport Minister, Shane Ross, said that he hopes the consultation will contribute to the design of a cost-effective measure to support regional airports that will also align with objectives in regional development, connectivity, sustainability, and climate impacts.

The launch of the review comes just weeks after the publication of a spending review by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. It determined that if passenger numbers continue to grow at regional airports, State subvention, valued at €15.4 million last year, cut could be cut.

The review found that with the exception of Waterford Airport, which handles no scheduled services, passenger numbers have been steadily increasing at the regional airports and that Knock has the potential to be self-sustaining if it continues to grow.

It noted that the proximity of Waterford to Cork and Dublin, and of Kerry to Shannon and Cork must be considered in the context of any future State subsidies: "While the absence of the airport would mean that residents of Waterford City and the South East are around two hours from the nearest airports, this must be balanced against the lack of services currently being provided. The proposed lengthening of the runway may attract airlines which can land larger aircraft, but the current lack of services may also imply a lack of demand.”

The new review seeks views on the "effectiveness of current support measures" and suggestions to consider "the need for something different".

“Securing best value for money in the deployment of exchequer funds will also be crucial,” Mr Ross said.

The public consultation will end on Sept 30 and Mr Ross will publish a draft regional airports programme later this year. It will set out a programme to cover the period of 2020-2024.