Regional airport will stay in the skies

A REGIONAL airport which was on its knees and threatened with closure just 18 months ago is enjoying a bumper year with passenger numbers soaring beyond all expectations.

And the omens are good for the South East Regional Airport in Waterford with more routes planned into France and Britain and the local community acting on an appeal to use the facility more.

Aer Arann passenger services are now linking the airport to London Luton Airport, Manchester Airport and Lorient in Brittany and there are plans in the pipeline for further routes into France and Britain, airport chairman, Nicky Fewer announced yesterday.

In total, 35,500 passengers flew to and from Waterford with Aer Arann in the 13-month period to July 12, 2004. Of these, 4,600 passengers - an average of over 153 per day - arrived and departed on scheduled services in June 2004 compared to 2,818 in August 2003, which was last year’s busiest month.

“The last 12 months has been a remarkable period and the airport is in the best shape now that it has been for many years after being under serious threat of closure in the early part of 2003 when we were without passenger services following the collapse of Euroceltic Airways Ltd,” Mr Fewer said.

The announcement by Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government, Martin Cullen TD in April of last year of State aid of almost €1.185m to put the airport on stable financial footing was a turning point, coming on the same day that it was announced Aer Arann would begin serving the facility, he said.